Zambian president says no to 'poisonous' GM foods

Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa vowed at the United Nations (UN) Earth Summit on Tuesday not to expose his people to genetically modified (GM) "poisonous" food being offered to aid some 2.5 million Zambians facing starvation.

"Simply because my people are hungry, that is no justification to give them poison, to give them food that is intrinsically dangerous to their health," Mr Mwanawasa told journalists at a briefing.

Asked why he was branding GM food as poison, Mr Mwanawasa toned down his warning to say it was "potentially intrinsically dangerous".

Zambia, one of six southern African countries threatened by famine over the next nine months, has refused to accept GM food.

Mr Mwanawasa said in the next month his country expects to harvest about 15,000 metric tonnes of maize and that the country has enough maize to last until December.

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