Kenya may soon allow the use of genetically - modified cotton and maize seeds , following pressure from Monsanto , the US government aid agency ( USAID ) , and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation . Kenya banned use of GMO products in 2012 . However , a recent decision by Monsanto ’s Kenyan subsidiary could allow the use of the modified seeds which produce insecticides to poison butterflies and moths . In 2008 , the Kenyan - based African Agricultural Technology Foundation ( AATF ) received $ 47 million from the Gates Foundation , which has been criticized by global economists for pushing a “ big agribusiness ” approach to African farming and for its close ties to Monsanto and USAID . If Kenya lifts its ban on GMO seeds , it would be the fourth African country after Burkina Faso , South Africa and Zimbabwe . Monsanto unsuccessfully attempted to introduce its Bt - cotton seed to Malawi in 2009 .
Kenya may soon allow the use of genetically-modified cotton and maize seeds, following pressure from Monsanto, the US government aid agency (USAID), and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Kenya banned imports of GMO products in 2012. However, a recent application by Monsanto’s Kenyan subsidiary could allow the use of the modified seeds which produce insecticides to poison butterflies and moths. In 2008, the Kenyan-based African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) received $47 million from the Gates Foundation, which has been criticized by global activists for pushing a “big agribusiness” approach to African farming and for its close ties to Monsanto and USAID. If Kenya lifts its ban on GMO seeds, it would be the fourth African country after Burkina Faso, South Africa and Sudan. Monsanto unsuccessfully attempted to introduce its Bt-cotton seed to Malawi in 2013.