There is a big controversy going on right now, among local farmers and Agric stakeholders in Nigeria. It is over the current efforts being made by some powerful forces to get farmers to abandon their organic seeds and adopt GMO seeds.
The farmers feel they are being ripped off by those trying to ensure that all farmers in Nigeria forcefully embrace GMO seeds.
A few months back, many stakeholders were worried when the government advocated the use of Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) seeds, despite strong opposition, to it. This sparked heated debates and raised critical questions. Seyi Taiwo Oguntuase wrote a Special report on the issue in The Saturday Independent which revealed that government’s support for GMO seeds marks a departure from Traditional Agricultural practices and this has elicited a range of reactions from stakeholders, including farmers, environmentalists, and policymakers.
For those who don’t know, let’s quickly tell you a little about GMO, or Genetically Modified Organism? It is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. This involves the use of laboratory DNA technology to alter the genes of an organism, such as a plant, animal, or microorganism, to produce a desired trait or characteristic. The goal of genetic modification is to introduce new traits or characteristics to an organism, such as resistance to pests, diseases, or environmental stresses, improved nutritional content, or increased tolerance to drought or extreme temperatures.
The dangers of GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) has lately been a topic of debate and research. Some potential risks and concerns have been raised. They include:
- Unknown long-term health effects: Some people worry that genetically modified foods may pose health risks, such as allergic reactions or altered nutritional content.
- Environmental impact: GMOs may cross-breed with non-GMO crops or wild relatives, potentially altering ecosystems and biodiversity.
- Gene transfer: Genes from GMOs may transfer to non-target organisms, potentially altering their behavior or ecology.
- Resistance and pesticide use: Overuse of GMOs with built-in pesticides may lead to the development of “superweeds” and increased pesticide use.
- Contamination of non-GMO crops: GMOs may accidentally cross-pollinate with non-GMO crops, potentially affecting their genetic makeup.
- Ethical concerns: Some people argue that genetic modification alters the fundamental nature of living organisms and raises ethical concerns.
- Lack of labeling: Many countries don’t require labeling of GMO foods, making it difficult for consumers to make informed choices.
Many scientific organizations, like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Medical Association (AMA), have argued that GMOs are not inherently harmful. But some organizations and individuals continue to raise concerns and advocate for caution and further research.
Some have argued that by supporting GMO maize seedlings, the government may have forced Nigerians into Slavery, disease, and poverty. Others see it as a positive step towards achieving national food security.
That is why, over the years, crop farmers’ use of Genetically Modified Organisms also known as GMO seeds, has led to heated debates among scientists, environmentalists, and even food activists.
Some argue that GMOs are not a cure-all for food insecurity and that the government should address the real issues which they say is insecurity and farmer/herder conflict as soon as possible so that farmers can farm freely and effectively. They claimed that GMOs are promoted under the false premise of addressing food insecurity and that Nigeria’s food productivity and hunger challenges are primarily caused by conflicts, insecurity, poverty, inequalities, a lack of basic infrastructure, subsidies, power imbalances/power inequalities, a lax and watered-down regulatory framework, corporate interference in government policy, and inadequate extension services.
Experts believe that the true solution to Nigeria’s food security problem is to address the root causes of poverty, inflation, insecurity, conflicts, and gender discrimination, emphasising that the cost of GMOs in terms of ecological damage, biodiversity loss, health, and economic implications far outweigh any apparent short-term benefits.
Experts also believe that the government should consider the uniqueness of the Nigerian agricultural landscape and take the right approach, which is agroecology, as this will ensure both food security and food sovereignty.
“Allowing genetically modified organisms to dominate our food system is analogous to returning to slavery.
“We should not let the Big Guys derail us with unfounded terms and unrealistic promises,” the experts advised.
GMO supporters, on the other hand, claimed that they would boost agricultural productivity, while also ensuring the country’s food security. They claimed that GMOs increase crop yields, food security, pest and insect resistance, water conservation, drought tolerance, economic growth, and smallholder farmer empowerment.
Recall that on January 11 this year, the Government approved the open cultivation and commercial release of TELA maize, which is said to be a transgenic insect-resistant and drought-tolerant variety along with other ‘high-yielding crop varieties’, while Mexico, the centre of origin of Maize, halted the cultivation of genetically engineered maize to preserve local and more nutritious varieties despite heavy pressures from vested interests.
Uche Nnaji, the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, stated in Abuja that the crop’s commercial release was a significant step towards increasing agricultural productivity and ensuring the country’s food security.
He also stated that this move would strengthen Nigeria’s position in the global agricultural landscape, fostering economic stability and opening up new trade and export opportunities and that the benefits of the release were far-reaching, promising increased crop yields, greater resilience to pests and diseases, lower environmental impact, and improved nutrition content.
Saturday Independent newspaper spoke to many Agric experts and they gave divergent views.
The Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) for example seems disappointed at the release of this genetically modified varieties.
The organisation stated that there is no evidence of a risk assessment conducted before the release of the TELA Maize on either the website of the National Biosafety Management Agency (the agency in charge of regulating GMO uses) or the Biosafety Clearing House of the United Nations Convention on Biodiversity, where parties are expected to upload updates on their decisions/use of GMOs/LMOs.
Nnimmo Bassey, Executive Director of HOMEF, says it is completely unacceptable for the country to expose its citizens to risky technologies in the name of food security without conducting adequate, independent, and/or long-term assessments of their effects on human and environmental health.
“There are numerous challenges associated with genetically modified crops that we must address. GMOs have been linked to cancers, diseases, allergies, and a variety of health problems as a result of environmental consequences such as their reliance on toxic pesticides and the loss of biodiversity and nutritional diversity.”
He wants government to conduct independent long-term feeding tests as well as environmental/biodiversity assessments before approving any GMO crop for use, rather than simply testing for productivity or performance.
Joyce Brown, HOMEF’s Director of Programmes and Project Lead for Hunger Politics is of the opinion that “GMOs are not required to feed our population. Over the centuries, our farmers have carefully selected and preserved seed, crop, and animal varieties. They have kept a supply of various types that provide food, medicine, and other necessities. They upheld biodiversity-protecting norms. Open cultivation and commercial release of TELA maize endangers our farmers’ lives and livelihoods.”
According to her, the most important things are to improve soil health, which ensures resilience to environmental stressors; to promote biodiversity over monocultures, which allows pests to thrive; and to provide farmers with the necessary credit, land, infrastructure, and market access.
Lovelyn Ejim, a farmer and Director of The Network of Women and Youth in Agriculture, urged other farmers to bond together and reject the approval.
“It is critical that farmers speak with one voice. Allowing GMOs to dominate our food system is equivalent to returning to slavery. We should not allow the big guys to derail us with unfounded terms and unrealistic promises.”
Professor Qrisstuberg Amua, Executive Director of the Centre for Food Safety and Agricultural Research (CEFSAR), stated in his presentation on ‘Ethical Concerns Related to Altering Natural Organisms-Challenges/Controversies’ that Agriculture is rapidly changing as a result of advances in molecular biology, genomics, and biotechnology, as well as the application of genomics to agriculture, raising important scientific, ethical, and social concerns.
He stated that agricultural varieties created through direct genetic modification are now being approved for planting and that GMO-derived products are widely available on the market. He stated that many concerns about GMOs and their long-term effects have not been addressed, as well as his concern that GMOs have not been around long enough and that their impact on the food supply is unknown because GMO-containing foods are not labelled.
–With additional information from Saturday Independent
