Topic: 2024-GMOs and Food Security
Country: Ethiopia
Delegate Name: Sundos Hejazi
The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia encourages the use of GMOs in food production, especially as a method to reduce levels of hunger and food insecurity. GMOs, or genetically modified organisms, are DNA-altered crops, and their role in the food and agriculture industry is prevalent and unavoidable. While Ethiopia recognizes the potential risks of integrating GMOs into the food supply, we also see the benefits of GMOs and the role they play in lowering food prices and decreasing food insecurity. For these reasons, Ethiopia urges further research into the GMO field so we can safely integrate them into the food and agriculture sector globally as they are crucial for increasing food security levels within our country and the world.
The implementation of GMO crops in the food production world allows farmers to use less pesticides when planting, allowing for healthier crops and a healthier population, thus decreasing levels of food insecurity and poor nutrition. However, we understand that GMOs can have their disadvantages, so we encourage organizations to continue further research before implementing GMOs completely, as we believe that proper study and relevant information must be gathered before any immediate action is taken. The FAO would play a large role in this research but would require funding from other organizations, and we encourage fellow members to prioritize this matter so we can find viable funding.
As for the quantity of food produced, GMOS are also proven to increase crop yield and size, meaning more food and as a result, less food insecurity. Ethiopia’s use of GMOs has proven successful, but we are still continuing to ensure that proper research and knowledge is collected regarding the topic, and we urge all other nations to do the same before opening the food industry to GMOs. This way we can maximize our use of GMOs to help reduce the levels of food insecurity across the world while keeping food safe for consumers and ensuring that the proper due diligence is applied. Within Ethiopia, there have long been struggles with food insecurity, and the government has approved some GMOs to combat this issue, which is why we are in support of GMOs as long as proper research is concluded and possible risks are factored into government decisions. We also understand that some public concerns with GMOs are prevalent, and members should keep this in mind when making any decisions regarding the use of GMOs in food and agriculture production.
Ethiopia understands the concerns that come with discussions about GMOs, but we highly encourage countries to investigate them thoroughly and conduct extensive research before deciding to integrate them into food production. To do this, we urge fellow delegates to make researching GMOs and the funding it requires a priority, so we can all work together to reduce levels of global food insecurity and foster a more sustainable and healthy society.
Sources:https://www.fda.gov/food/agricultural-biotechnology/why-do-farmers-us-grow-gmo-crops#:~:text=Farmers%20can%20use%20less%20spray,that%20end%20up%20on%20crops.
https://allianceforscience.org/blog/2018/06/ethiopia-progresses-gmo-crops/#:~:text=In%20an%20effort%20to%20improve,field%20research%20on%20GM%20maize.
https://www.un.org/en/chronicle/article/biotechnology-solution-hunger
https://escientificpublishers.com/JBI-05-0043#:~:text=In%202015%2C%20the%20Ethiopian%20parliament,public%20debate%20or%20media%20coverage.
