[ti:Researchers Africa Genetically Modified Crops Held Back by Scaremongering] [ar:Caty Weaver] [al:Agriculture Report] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report. [00:05.04]A new report says genetically-modified or GM [00:12.41]crops would greatly improve agriculture in Africa. [00:17.21]The policy group Chatham House released the report. [00:21.94]It says African governments are unlikely to approve GM crops, [00:29.11]because opponents are spreading fear about its possible dangers. [00:35.00]Rob Bailey is a writer of the report. [00:38.67]"They've created anti-GM campaigns based on misinformation. [00:43.82]So for example, [00:45.39]alleging a link between GM crops and infertility, [00:49.88]or cancer, or animal deformities. [00:52.72]None of which is true, [00:54.71]there's no evidence for any of this," Bailey said. [00:56.11]In Uganda, [00:59.25]scientists are working in a temperature-controlled laboratory. [01:04.29]They are developing what they call a "golden banana". [01:09.83]They say it will be stronger, [01:13.37]and will have higher levels of vitamins [01:17.31]and minerals than traditional bananas. [01:20.42]Priva Namanya is one of the researchers. [01:25.05]"We have been able to show [01:26.85]that we can increase our vitamin A levels six times," Namanya said. [01:31.69]Rob Bailey says GM crops offer the best hope [01:36.73]of increasing productivity [01:39.03]and dealing with climate change in Africa. [01:42.38]Opponents of GM crops also argue [01:46.32]that they are costly to grow. [01:49.01]They say they do not produce more than non-GM crops. [01:54.56]They say GM crops require more use of chemicals [02:00.15]than traditional crops. [02:02.16]And they say that companies that support GM crops [02:07.16]are more interested in making money [02:10.70]than in helping poor farmers grow more crops. [02:14.99]Tetteh Nartey grows pawpaw, maize [02:20.32]and other vegetables near the Ghanaian capital Accra. [02:24.61]This year Ghana approved a test [02:28.88]of GM grains like cowpeas. [02:32.43]Mr. Nartey disagrees with that decision. [02:36.82]"Anything that is not natural it has got its bad side, [02:40.17]if it is not natural then be very careful [02:43.51]because at the end of the day [02:45.61]we start taking GM products, [02:47.26]but who has done the research?" asked Nartey. [02:48.86]Ghana's government says it has put strong laws in place [02:53.64]to guard against problems from GM crops. [02:57.54]Soren Ambrose is with the group Action Aid. [03:02.76]He says increasing the amount of food, [03:06.85]using GM crops is not a good way [03:11.38]to end food shortages in Africa. [03:14.46]"It's not so much the problem of producing food, [03:18.26]as it is the problem of getting the food [03:21.25]that is produced to the people who need it," said Ambrose. [03:24.33]Bernard Guri works at Ghana's Center for Indigenous Knowledge. [03:29.02]He is worried the GM crops could force [03:33.15]many of Africa's millions of small farms [03:37.31]to stop growing food. [03:39.81]"This is against our sovereignty, [03:42.96]it is another form of colonialism [03:45.13]where gradually the developed world is conspiring [03:48.84]to take over our food system [03:51.34]in terms of taking over our land, [03:53.54]taking over our seed, [03:54.90]and taking over the whole farming food system," said Guri. [03:57.34]I'm Caty Weaver.