His call comes at a time when over 1,7 million people, mostly in the rural areas, are said to be at the verge of starvation due to hunger.
Dzinotyiweyi’s appeal is supported by the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe, which has also called on government to lift a ban on GMOs to avert hunger amid widespread food shortages.
Dzinotyiweyi, a former University of Zimbabwe Dean of Science told Standardbusiness that GMOs remained banned because there was no unanimity in government as far as their use and consumption was concerned.
“From a scientific angle, nobody has shown that such products are unsafe,” Dzinotyiweyi said. For us, as a developing country, to say they are unsafe would be wrong.”
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
He added: “With the way the world is going, we cannot survive on superstition. We have to respect scientific evidence and go along with it that GMOs are good and boost food production.”
The former UZ lecturer urged farmers and millers to confront government so that it can lift the ban of GMOs.
“I hope affected constituencies such as farmers and millers can confront government on this with a desire to arrive at a conclusive position, which is of interest to both the country as a whole and to themselves,” he said
Government banned the importation of genetically modified grain citing health and environmental reasons.
—