http://allafrica.com/stories/200302060665.html

US Makes Non-GM Food Donation

UN Integrated Regional Information Networks 

February 6, 2003 
Posted to the web February 6, 2003 

Lusaka 

The US government on Thursday donated 30,000 mt of non-genetically
modified (GM) sorghum and bulgur wheat to Zambia, struggling to cope
with widespread
food shortages.

The US $15 million donation comes at a time when the Zambian government
had appealed for more relief food. In the national budget presented last 
week, Finance and National Planning Minister Emmanuel Kasonde set aside 
US $14 million for the commercial purchase of maize.

US ambassador Martin Brennan said the food aid was intended to "assist
Zambia's most vulnerable people during the current
food shortage". Close to three million Zambians are facing food
shortages following two consecutive poor harvests, and
concern has been raised over the impact of a possible drought this year.

The donation of sorghum and bulgur (partly cooked and dried wheat
grains) follows a wrangle last year over the government's
refusal to accept US-supplied GM maize on health and environmental grounds.

The World Food Programme (WFP) will distribute 10,000 mt of the US
shipment, while their partners CARE International, and
the church-run World Vision and Catholic Relief Services will distribute
the remainder.

The US donation has beefed up existing stocks of relief food. "What I
can say right now is that we have a healthy food pipeline, we are
receiving thousands of tonnes
of relief food every other week," WFP spokeswoman Sibi Lawson told IRIN.

Wheat and sorghum are generally accepted by Zambians, despite the fact
that white maize is the staple food consumed by most households.