b'made in the tribal sector asRwanda are signatories, toshortage could be made upof another five to seven million well."be transparent and to shareby a coordinated release oftons of wheat exports as a Source: The Logical Indian information on transbound- wheat stocks, the authors say.result. If no action is taken to ary movement of GMO. BothIn the longer term, however,stabilize wheat supplies, food countries have competentother countries would have tosecurity and national security STATUS RWANDA authorities that have the man- fill the export gap, which couldare at risk in many countries Rwanda says it is countingdate to implement provisionsamount to as much as 9% ofaround the world, the study\'s on Kenya to be a responsi- of the protocol, the authorityglobal wheat exports. Thatscientists warn.ble member of the region bysaid. We believe that this par- would require an additionalOnly part of the culti-ensuring transparent infor- ticular trade will be handledhalf-million tons of nitrogenvated land in Ukraine can be mation is shared with neigh- through the existing regula- fertilizer, the researchers calcu- farmed this year. This means bouring EAC countries on alltory framework and throughlated, and at already high fer- severe economic damage for genetically modified (GM)the existing good collabora- tilizer prices. Alternatively, theUkraine, and a threat to food seeds and food productstion between the two parties. area under wheat cultivationsecurity for many countries imported. The Cartagena Protocol onwould have to be increased byin Africa and Asia, such as Kigalis sentiments mustBiosafety to the Conventiona total of 8%. Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan or have come as a relief to theon Biological Diversity, passedYield fluctuations and cropLebanon, which depend to a Kenyan government, comingin 2003 is the basic inter- failures due to climate changelarge extent on wheat imports on the back of recent supportnational law on biosafety,are putting additional pressurefrom Ukraine to feed their by a scientific lobby of Africanallowing countries to restricton the global market. Eachpopulations.scientists who this week saidimportation of GMOs if theyyear, there could be a shortfallSource: Zalf SWgenetically modified organ- believe there is insufficient isms (GMOs) are safe forevidence on their safety. human consumption and theCountries routinely require environment. GMO foods to be labelled There is public debate inas such and retain rights to Kenya after the governmentrestrict biosafety technologies in September lifted a banthat could harm public health.on GMO foods and seeds,Source: The East Africanprompting a suit that resulted in a temporary court order stopping importation. STATUS UKRAINENow Rwandan authori- Due to the Russian invasion of ties have jumped into theUkraine, wheat exports have fray, saying they want Kenyadeclined worldwide. Yield to abide by internationalfluctuations and losses due to laws such as the Cartagenaclimate change are addition-Protocol to ensure others areally hampering the supply not harmed by its actions onsituation in individual regions GMOs. of the world. As a result, wheat The Rwanda Inspectorate,prices have risen sharply. In a Competition and Consumerrecent study published in the Protection Authority (RICA)journal Global Food Security, said it expects Nairobiscientists argue that in the to abide by internationallong term, wheat production biosafety laws. must increase worldwide to In this regard, testing iscompensate for the lack of not a very important aspectexports. Alternatively, they as countries are requested,say, the area on which wheat under the Cartagena Protocol,is grown must be increased. to which both Kenya andIn the short term, the wheat FEBRUARY 2023 SEEDWORLD.COM /65'