Food Sovereignty Experts have called for a ban on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in Nigeria saying it is not a solution to hunger.
At a National conference on GMOs in Abuja, the experts said the recent debate and uproar in the country on GMOs have brought to light the loopholes in Nigeria’s Biosafety regulatory architecture.
They applauded the decision of the House of Representatives to suspend GMOs, describing it as a step towards safeguarding Nigeria’s food heritage.
It was a multi-stakeholder forum organised by the Health of Mother Earth Foundation HOMEF to address various concerns with Genetically Modified Organisms GMOs, review the experiences so far, and come up with clear resolutions regarding their deployment in Nigeria.
With the theme: “Beyond the Propaganda: Unveiling the Truth AboutGMOs, speakers expressed worry about Nigeria’s inability to feed herself despite the availability of arable land and variety of crops.
MUST READ:Environmental activists raise health concerns about genetically modified foods
They want government to empower small holder farmers and address insecurity so farners can return to farms insisting that GMOs cannot provide solution to hunger.
Despite assurances by the National Biosafety Management Agency NBMA that the GMOs approved in the country are safe, stakeholders are concerned about the failure of the Regulatory agency to make available documents on risk assessment confirming that approved GM varieties would not create human and environmental health problems.
To them, the Cartagena Protocol on which biosafety regulatory measures are hinged recognizes the negative impacts of GMOs hence the need for precautionary approach guided by ethical principles before their introduction.
(Editor: Anoyoyo Ogiagboviogie)
.
