FG’s approval of TELA maize wrong – HOMEF
By Omeiza Bilal
The Health of Mother Health Foundation (HOMEF), have described the approval as wrong saying the government should have done a risk assessment of the maize before giving the approval.
The Foundation in a statement signed recently by it media and communications lead, Miss Kome Odhomor, notes that the approval is coming at a time when Mexico, the place of origin of the maize halted the cultivation of genetically engineered corn to preserve local and more nutritious varieties despite heavy pressures from vested interests.
While commending the intention of the federal government in addressing food insufficiency in Nigeria, HOMEF expressed disappointment over the release of the genetically modified varieties.
According to the Executive Director of HOMEF, Nnimmo Bassey, “it is totally unacceptable that in the name of food sufficiency, the country is exposing its citizens to products of risky technologies without adequate, independent and/or long-term assessment on their impacts on human and environmental health. There are many challenges associated with genetic modification crops that we cannot deny.
“So far, GMOs have been linked to cancers, diseases, allergies, and all sorts of health challenges due to environmental implications because of their dependency on toxic pesticides and the destruction of biodiversity and nutritional diversity. We are also concerned that there is no way to label or inform our farmers that are planting GMO maize. To deny Nigerians the right of choice is highly objectionable and wicked.”
It is expedient that the government conduct independent long-term feeding tests and environmental/biodiversity assessments before any GM crop is approved for use and not merely testing to confirm productivity or performance”.
Bassey charged the Nigerian government to understand the difficulties of recalling genetically modified living organisms and to quickly withdraw the TELA Maize.
The TELA Maize was released along with 22 other new varieties said to be aimed at achieving food sufficiency in Nigeria. The crop varieties were released at the National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB) in Ibadan, Oyo State, during the 33rd meeting of National Committee on Naming, Registration and Release of Crop Varieties, Livestock Breeds/Fisheries.
HOMEF’s Director of Programmes and Project Lead for Hunger Politics, Joyce Brown stated “We don’t need GMOs to feed our population. Our farmers have selected and preserved seeds, crops, and animal varieties over the centuries. They have kept a stock of varieties that both provide food and meet our medicinal and other needs. They kept the norms that preserved biodiversity. Introducing the open cultivation and commercial release of the TELA maize is an outright danger to the lives and livelihood of our farmers.
“What is of utmost importance is enhancing the health of our soils – which ensures their resilience to environmental stressors; building biodiversity instead of encouraging monocultures which helps pests to thrive; and supporting farmers with needed access to credits, land, infrastructure, and access to markets”?
Of the 23 new crop varieties released, 12 are varieties of TELA Maize which is genetically modified. In order words what the country is celebrating, is the flooding of our agriculture system with product of a risky technology that promotes monoculture and does not necessarily lead to higher productivity than local varieties.
The National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB) did not state if the other varieties are also products of genetic engineering. Nigerians deserve adequate and accurate information on what is going on with their food. It is however ironical that a centre that prides itself in its commitment to the conservation of the rich genetic resources of the nation is the same in charge of approving the release of genetically modified varieties – with serious potential to contaminate our local varieties in an irreversible manner.
Lovelyn Ejim, a farmer and Director of The Network of Women and Youth in Agriculture charged other farmers to form a united front and reject the approval.
“It is important for farmers to also speak in a united voice. Allowing GMOs to take over our food system is like going back to slavery. We should not allow the big guys to use unfounded terms and unrealistic promises to derail us,” she said.
