On February 7, 2024, before the Zimbabwean cabinet allowed the importation of GMO BT maize solely for animal feed, lab results revealed unauthorized maize and soya GMO strains in Profeeds’ pig feed.
Many of these GMO strains are not authorized in South Africa. Therefore, the production by #Profeeds of GMO animal feed containing unapproved soya and non-BT GMO maize strains – some not approved in South Africa – before the cabinet gave approval for the importation of GMOs from South Africa, for animal feed only (on February 7, 2024), was illegal and remains so today.
This is because only on March 13, 2024, did the Zimbabwean cabinet approve BT Maize imports [ONLY] from South Africa, exclusively for animal feed. Hence, the question arises: who approved licenses for Innscor to import GMOs for human and animal consumption, before cabinet approval or a recent and valid statutory instrument?
Where are the unauthorized non-BT maize GMOs being used in mealie meal [for people] and animal feed originating from, if some of the ones we found in the pig feed are not authorized in South Africa?
Furthermore, elevated levels of glyphosate were also detected in the pig and chicken feed, and we are still undertaking tests in Germany to determine whether the mealie meal also contains the carcinogen, glyphosate.
Itβs curious that the Innscor website states they have outgrower farmers cultivating maize and soya in Zimbabwe for their feed factories, mills and bakeries. So, what are these growers cultivating in Zimbabwe if most of the mealie meal and animal feed have GMO ingredients? Where are the non-GMOs that are meant to be coming from the outgrower farmers?
We have already ascertained that Innscor is illegally importing most of its GMOs in Zimbabwe – many of which are unauthorized in South Africa – for animal feed and human consumption. So is there also a possibility that some of these GMOs that we are finding in their food and feed are being cultivated illegally in Zimbabwe, as Bulawayo 24 x.com/matinyarare/stβ¦ fears could be happening, after finding GMO grain being sold openly in Mbare earlier this week?
If Profeeds and Innscor have already broken GMO importation laws, by using questionable GM import licenses, what would stop them from getting equally bogus licenses to grow them in the country too, since they seem to be above the law?
Just last week, the NBA (National Biotech Authority) responded to court papers in the Harare High Court, and they fell short of confirming the claims made by Grain Millers in their papers, that NBA as the second respondent, authorized them and its members [like Innscor) to import GMO maize and soy for human and animal consumption before the cabinet authorized maize imports for animal feed on the 13th of March.
With this, NBA must now investigate the Innscor outgrower farms to determine if they are not growing GMOs which may potentially contaminate our seed stock, especially after NBA had an article written in the Herald today, condemning the illegal import of GMOs into Zimbabwe.
