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Agriculture stakeholders have called on Nigerian farmers, to join the campaign against Genetically Modified Organisms, in the nation’s agricultural sector.
This was during a one-day event celebrating Nigeria’s food and cultural diversity in Benin city, the Edo State capital, located in the nation’s South-South region.
They say GMOs have negatively impacted food production in the country and called on governments at all levels, to urge farmers to adopt organic farming practices.
Health of Mother Foundation described the introduction of genetically modified organism (GMO) into Nigeria’s food security plan as a big mistake as it jeopardizes the potential of any country especially in Africa to reach their full potential in food production.
The Executive Director of HOMEF, Dr Nnimmo Bassey said GMO narrow down the varieties available and its becomes dominant threats to the local varieties available.
He said: “Introducing GMO’s for reason of food security is a big mistake, because GMO’s jeopardize the potential of any country especially in Africa to reach their full potential to achieve food security because GMO’s reduce biodiversity, its narrow down the varieties available and it becomes dominant threats to the local varieties available.”
He noted that the introduction of GMOs in Nigeria has raised serious concerns about safety, regulatory oversight, and their potential impacts on the country’s biosafety.
The subject of the dangers of GMO foods was front burner.
Bassey added that “to provide alternative in place of GMOs, we should first realize that it is food sovereignty that secure food security. What that means is that we should be depending on our indigenous species, ensuring that food we produce conforms to our culture, the government should also ensure that there is proper infrastructure because today many of the food produce are wasting because there is no storage facility. Other experts spoke about the issue.
1. NNIMMO BASSEY – EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HOMEF
2. EMEKA OBI – FOOD RIGHTS – ACTIVIST
3. NNANA LOVELY – FARMER
Source: Swifteradio.com
