5 months ago
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The Health of Mother Earth Foundation, HOMEF, has tasked the federal government to put a stop to the release of every Genetically Modified Organism, GMO food product and invest in the promotion of organic food seedlings to ensure the preservation of the country’s local varieties and healthy foods.
The group also asked that the responsibilities of the country’s Food Systems Regulators be streamlined to ensure that only healthy and nutritious foods are approved for consumption and distribution among the population.
In her presentation at a media dialogue on the preservation of healthy local foods and seeds; Joyce Brown, the Project Lead, Hunger Politics at HOMEF, noted that so far, there has not been any proven evidence of the benefit of GMOs to Nigeria’s growth.
Brown noted that scientific research has continued to point to the danger of GMOs to the country’s human and environmental health, the economy, and food systems as well as the increasing incidences of non-communicable diseases like cancer and kidney failure, which have been linked to diets and the over-dependence on food imports.
She warned that recent research confirms the presence of GMOs in up to 38 food products in Nigerian markets, out of which 24 are products not previously seen, confirming an influx of up to 60% of new GMO products in the country due to the ignorance of consumers.
‘‘Nigeria does not need GMOs to feed its population, locally produced food crops are still healthier. The government must get the right information to the farmers, encourage local food production, support smallholder farmers with the needed infrastructure, and access to credit and land to improve productivity.
‘‘We encourage people to choose local healthier and Indigenous foods to avoid GMOs, we also call on the government to address insecurity so that farmers can go back to the farms and produce food in safety.
Meanwhile, Dr Jacqueline Ikeotuonye, a healthy living advocate, warned that a toxic mix of factors has ensured that the country’s food system remains compromised and does not meet the needs of a large chunk of the population.
She tasked the government to enforce proper labelling of products to indicate their GMO contents to help consumers make healthier choices of food.
‘‘Nigerians need to be wary of pesticide-infested foods in the market, these food products cause cancer, kidney failure and all manner of diseases. People must prioritise producing their foods, everyone should plant a garden around them, and plant their vegetables.
Miriam Bassey another, food advocate, warned that the importation of GM seedlings into the country will compromise Nigeria’s food sovereignty.
She explained that food sovereignty ensures that local varieties transmitted from generations are preserved, are not polluted or totally eliminated from the country’s staple as a result of food colonization.
‘‘We need a situation where communities have access to nutritious, affordable and sufficient food that is culturally relevant and agreeable to the people,’’ she said.
Speaking on food security from the farmer’s perspective, Dr Hauwa Mustapha, said the lack of access to the choice of traditional seedlings for the farmer has increasingly begun to affect food production.
She said farmers always prefer local and organic seedlings but the inability to access organic seedlings, fertilizer, pest infestations, banditry and insecurity inside farms has contributed to food insecurity.
She tasked the government to prioritize organic farming for local consumption and reduce the use of chemicals, noting that the soil can be polluted as a result of negligence and the cultivation of GM seedlings.
The government must get the right information to the farmers and respect the years of experience and knowledge that local farmers have that they have used for the production of food for generations.
‘‘If we do not prioritise local production of healthy organic food, we will soon be overwhelmed by GMOs, which in turn cost us lives and livelihoods, she said.
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