Health of the Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has urged govt to re-examine the entire architecture of biosafety in order to protect Nigerians from eating unwholesome foods; from having crops that will destroy our biodiversity; have negative implication for our health and for our security.
At a One day Media Training held recently in Lagos and titled “Agroecology as a Viable Solution to Climate Change” organised by Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), the Executive Director, HOMEF, Dr. Nnimmo Bassey said this.
The group also decried the permit by govt to allow importation of Genetically Modified (GM) Wheat and Cowpeas into the country.
“We demand that the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) should stop acting as a gateway for needless and risky genetically modified organism (GMO) products in Nigeria.
According to Bassey, an independent scientific assessment of the application for the commercial release of the HB4 Wheat reveals issues of concern regarding the analysis of endogenous gene interruptions by genetic modification, putative production of unexpected outputs, potential risk for consumption and stability of genetic modification of transgenic wheat.
The application dossier reportedly failed to show that the new trait and its related features in the wheat were distinctively evaluated for human, animal health and environment safety, adding that regrettably, the Nigeria Biosafety Committee ignored the gaps in data and knowledge in their recommendations for approval of the importation of the product for food, feed and processing in world’s most populous black nation.
Bassey said: “Although it is claimed that the application is for commercialisation and not for cultivation of the wheat, there is no guarantee that the GMOs will not get into the hands of local farmers and contaminate indigenous varieties. The applicant states that ‘in the unlikely case of accidental release, risks to humans, animals and the environment are similar to the ones produced by conventional wheat’.
“If you cannot explain a technology, why are you pushing it to Nigerians. This is a clear case of ambushing Nigerian farmers to plant what they don’t know in the name of improved varieties, it’s illegal and unethical” Bassey said.
Also, Head Communications, CAPPA, Philip Jakpor stressed that the government of Nigeria should commit to long-term evaluation of the safety of the GM technology, as well as other emerging technologies.
“The government should ensure adequate support for our farmers and support agro-ecology, which assures of optimum productivity of health and safe food, while replenishing ecosystems,” he appealed.
On her part, Programmes Manager of HOMEF, Joyce Brown, asked: “Why do we need to import the GM variety of wheat modified for drought resistance and herbicide tolerance if it is only for use as food and feed and not for cultivation? Except the whole thing is an ambush against Nigerians?
“It is important that we go back to our roots and begin to grow healthy foods, rather than embracing foods that are being pushed to us in the name of improved varieties which have negative implications for human health” said Climate Justice Campaign Expert, Babawale Obayanju.