In a landmark ruling, the Kenya Court of Appeal blocked the Kenyan government from importing genetically modified organisms into the country. A case was brought against the government challenging its decision to lift the GMO ban it had in place in October 2022.
An appeal by the the Kenya Peasants League, Biodiversity and Biosafety Association of Kenya (BIBA), and 18 other parties was filed to “protect the rights of small-scale farmers and consumers while safeguarding Kenya’s biodiversity and ecological balance,” according to a press release.
“We celebrate this ruling as a major victory for small-scale farmers across Kenya,” David Otieno, a representative of the Kenya Peasants League, said. “GMOs are not the solution to food insecurity in our country. Instead, they deepen dependency on multinational agribusinesses, threaten biodiversity, and compromise farmers’ ability to control their food systems.”
In the Court of Appeals ruling, it stated that “the public interest is best served by maintaining the ban while the legal and policy questions surrounding GMOs are fully addressed.” Kenyan farmers and food sovereignty advocates are asking the government to do due diligence on the public health effects and environmental and socio-economic impacts of GMOs before any policy shifts.
“A key milestone was in November 2024 when the Kenya National Agroecology Strategy for Food Systems Transformation was launched by the Ministry of Agriculture” said Anne Maina, the National Coordinator of the Biodiversity and Biosafety Association of Kenya.
Many are pushing for the government to “prioritize agroecology as the sustainable alternative to industrial agriculture,” according to a press release.
“We urge the government to invest in smallholder farmers, indigenous seed systems, and agroecological farming practices rather than pushing harmful technologies that serve corporate interests,” Million Belay, general coordinator of the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa, said.
The ruling, which is said to be a historic victory, forced the government to end any introduction and promotion of GMOs in Kenya effective immediately. The case will go through a full hearing in the Court of Appeal to determine if the lifting of the GMO ban was lawful and upholds the public interest.
“Kenyan farmers, civil society organizations, and allies around the world stand united in defending Kenya’s food sovereignty.”
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