The Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has called on the Nigerian government to seek safe alternatives for addressing the country’s food crisis, cautioning against the adoption of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) due to their associated risks.
HOMEF has raised concerns that the introduction of GMOs could transform Nigeria into a dumping ground for potentially harmful food products. The organization advocates for addressing the root causes of food insecurity, such as security issues affecting food production, distribution, and preservation.
Dr. Nnimmo Bassey, Executive Director of HOMEF, highlighted these concerns at a workshop on biosafety for the judiciary in Nigeria. He warned that GMOs could hinder Nigeria’s ability to achieve food security by reducing biodiversity, corrupting local crop varieties, and causing unnatural alterations in healthy human cells.
“Crops genetically engineered to resist herbicides lead to increased herbicide use, which is destructive as it affects non-target plants and disrupts the natural state of crops,” Bassey explained. “Destroying all other plants except the engineered one damages soil health and undermines food security.”
To secure food sovereignty and achieve food security, Bassey emphasized the importance of preserving native and indigenous species and maintaining biodiversity. He criticized the practice of introducing genes from unrelated species, such as animals to plants, as unnatural and potentially harmful.
Bassey outlined several actionable steps for the government:
1. **Improve Food Distribution and Preservation:** Ensure that food produced by farmers reaches markets and dining tables, addressing infrastructure issues, farm access, and storage facilities.
2. **Invest in Agricultural Support:** Increase the number of extension officers from the Ministry of Agriculture to assist farmers in selecting appropriate seeds and improving farming practices.
3. **Address Insecurity:** Tackle the security challenges that prevent farmers from accessing their lands, which is crucial for farming, harvesting, and preserving produce.
Joyce Brown, Director of Programs at HOMEF, urged the government to heed public demands against GMOs, noting that many are now aware of their dangers, which have led to bans in several European and African countries. She stressed the need for supporting smallholder farmers and resolving insecurity issues.
Brown advocated for agroecology as a key alternative to GMOs. Agroecology can help revive degraded soils, tackle pests and diseases, and improve yields for farmers, thereby creating a sustainable food system controlled by local farmers rather than relying on uncontrollable GMOs.
HOMEF’s stance calls for a comprehensive approach to food security that prioritizes safety, sustainability, and farmer empowerment over genetically modified solutions.