By Paul Effiong, Abuja
Group known as Centre for Food Safety and Agricultural Research has called on the National Assembly to urgently pass a legislation prohibiting the consumption of Genetically Modified Organisms, GMOs in the country for the purpose of protecting the environment and the health need of Nigerians.
The appeal was made by the Executive Director of the organisation, Qrisstuberg Amua during a one-day training on the dangers of GMO consumption in Nigeria
organised for members of the House of Representatives Press Corps held at the National Assembly Complex on Sunday in Abuja.
The Centre, in its presentation, alleged that the rising cases of cancer and other related illnesses are traceable to the use and consumption of GMO food and products.
Earlier in his address, the executive director disclosed that his establishment has made several scientific researches in several countries, leading to a logical conclusion that GMOs are products of genetic engineering which is a technology that allows scientists to create plants, animals and micro-organisms by manipulating genes at the cellular level in a way that is not possible through traditional or natural processes.
According to the group, many countries have battled with the use of GMO products, even as they had to engage prolific scientists in more research which led to a logical conclusion that GMO foods are extremely detrimental for human consumption.
The organisation thereafter mentioned several countries where the products and food items have been banned, South Africa, Russia, Zambia, Peru, Mexico among others, even as they maintained that the campaign against GMOs is particularly against genetic modification of food crops and animals and any other genetic modification that will alter the ecosystem balance negatively by impacting on agriculture, as well as destroy local economy and food security in Nigeria.
The group of CSOs maintained that over 19 European Union countries, four Asian countries, two African countries, five countries in the Americas, as well as South Africa’s Supreme Court have banned GMOs.
“It is noteworthy that nearly all studies that claim GMOs are safe are funded by the very biotechnology corporations that produce and/or profit from GMOs sales.
“Several studies have linked the consumption of GMOs to a myriad of diseases including antibiotics resistance, the commercially approved Bt Cowpea expresses an enzyme which confers resistance to antibiotics – neomycin phosphotransferase II, NPTII.
Opponents of GMO products have consistently emphasised that: ‘the use of GMOs has significantly increased the use of herbicides in the US for example; needful to say that these herbicides are produced by the same companies producing the genetically modified seeds.’
They said the herbicides do not only destroy the target weeds, but also non-target organisms that are essential for soil health and overall ecosystem function.
“These chemicals can also run off to contaminate drinking ground water and surface water including drinking water sources.
“There is also the severe threat of irreversible genetic contamination due to cross-pollination which could also lead to the production of uncontrollable and mutated plant varieties,” they said.
The Centre for Food Safety and Agricultural Research equally argued that farmers who have been given GM seed to plant, as well as extension workers have complained that although GMOs may perform well in the first planting season in terms of productivity, their productivity drastically declines in the second planting season.
They explained that farmers cannot replant these seeds but have to continuously purchase the seeds every new season.
“This signifies an attempt at seed colonialism and loss of our heritage – as forcing our farmers and by extension, consumers to depend on mostly foreign corporations for seed, is a way of committing genocide:
Also speaking, Segun Adabayo, who is the Deputy Director of the group, in his opening remarks, explained that the workshop was designed to equip journalists with essential knowledge about the health and environmental risks of GMOs, as well as enhance their capacity to report on GMO-related policies and foster an informed public discourse on food safety and national food sovereignty.
