Kenya Bans Imports for Genetically Modified Foods

By CnAgri Print

The Kenyan Ministry of Public Health ordered public health officials to remove all genetically modified foods on the market and to enforce a ban on GM imports following a Nov. 8 Kenyan Cabinet and Presidential decree. The USDA says the ban undermines Kenya's legal and regulatory system for agricultural biotechnology codified in its National Biosafety Act of 2009.

The ban's immediate impact on U.S. exports will be minimal because Kenya does not regularly import U.S. corn and soy and has imported none so far in 2012. In addition, most U.S. food aid shipments through Kenya were already being diverted from the port of Mombasa due to recent challenges with GM pre-notification procedures.

Implications of the ban are not significant for the United States in terms of trade. Commercial exports to Kenya of corn and soy, whole and meal, are very limited in general, and were at zero so far in 2012. In addition, most GM food aid has already been diverted from the port of Mombasa because of challenges caused by pre-notification requirements for shipments of GM products. However, the United States looked to Kenya as a partner in international fora and a leader in the East African region to advocate for a deliberate, scientific, and non-political approach to decisions in agriculture and food safety. This policy calls into question Kenya抯 commitment to making regulatory decisions based on sound science.

Currently there are no specifics on how Kenya's Public Health Officials will enforce the mandate to remove GM products from the market and the import ban.