Health of Mother Earth Foundation raises alarm over danger of GMO foods

The Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), a non-govermental organization, has raised the alarm over the dangers associated with Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).

HOMEF raised the alarm in a petition against the introduction of GMOs into Nigeria’s food system.

The petition called on the government to reconsider its decision to approve GMOs and to prioritise the health and well-being of Nigerians.

The Executive Director of HOMEF, Dr Nnimmo Bassey, in the petition, said Nigeria does not need GMOs to attain sufficiency in food production.

He asserted that the design of the genetically modified crops does not support local economic growth but promote dependency on corporate seed supply.

“In September 2024, the National Cotton Association of Nigeria (NACOTAN) were reported to have said that they did not record any significant increase in their yields compared to the local seed varieties but instead, since the introduction of GM cotton seeds over 4 years ago, yield per hectare has remained about the same.

“Also, the farmers noted that no other plant has been able to germinate on the farmlands where the GM seeds were planted, even after four years – confirming the concerns regarding loss of biodiversity and soil degradation due to release of genetic material (proteins) into the soil which would not ordinarily occur,” he said.

Bassey noted that farmers are encouraged to continuously purchase the seeds every new season from corporate entities due to the fact that farmers are not able to replant the GM seeds after harvest due to declining yields.

He said this reflects neo-colonialism and corporate capture of our food system -something we shouldn’t take lightly.

Also speaking, the National Co-coordinator of the GMO-Free Nigeria Alliance, Ifeanyi Nwankwere, noted that GMOs approved in Nigeria so far, are not yet labeled.

According to him, Nigeria’s socio-economic context would not allow labelling to be effective, considering how food was sold in cups and basins in open markets where majority of our people shop from.

Nwankwere noted that the biosafety regulatory system in Nigeria was not designed in a way that assures safety with regard to GMOs.

On his part, the Coordinator of the Edo Civil Society Organisations (EDOCSO), Mr Agho Omobude, bemoaned the approval of 14 genetically modified foods in Nigeria, which he said had been a staple in all households over the years.

Agho who stressed that genetically modified foods are poisonous and pose a significant threat to the health and well-being of Nigerians, dismissed the claim that GMOs could ensure food sufficiency, describing it as a lie and a ploy to colonise Nigeria’s food system.

Mr Cadmus Atake-Enade of the HOMEF advocated legislation that would outlaw the sale of genetically modified foods in the Edo and Nigeria at large.

He expressed concerns that some super markets in the state were reportedly selling the products without providing the customers with information about them.

HOMEF had earlier held a campaign rally in collaboration with the GMO-Free Nigeria Alliance and members of the Edo Civil Society Organisations (EDOCSO), simultaneously in Edo, Rivers, Katsina, Plateau, Oyo, Lagos, Cross Rivers, Enugu, Jigawa States and the FCT, to educate the public about the risks associated with GMO foods.