Uganda: Super banana sparks heated debate
"When I spend a week without eating matooke, I don't feel good," says Charles Semakula, who lives and farms 16 kilometres (10 miles) outside the capital Kampala. "It's rare not to find it regardless of what part of the country you're in."
But in recent years a deadly bacterial disease, known as "banana wilt", has had a devastating impact, driving some farmers to abandon their beloved crop altogether. It has also sparked a Ugandan version of the global row over genetically modified (GMO) foods.
Across the world, heated debate surrounds the development and use of new foods whose DNA has been manipulated to incorporate traits not found naturally.
Backers claim that engineered strains offer a future of plentiful crops, resistant to drought and disease.
Their opponents insist that the long-term health risks and environmental impacts are not known, and warn that global corporations behind GMO foods exercise undue influence over governments and farmers.
With his banana crop under threat, Semakula is among those who want Uganda's parliament to pass a contentious bill permitting the use of GMO crops in the hope it will deliver disease-resistant bananas.
Supporters of the GMO bill argue that the crops are both safe and vital for the health of Ugandans.
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