Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) in collaboration with GMO-Free Nigeria Alliance, will on Tuesday, July 30, 2024 hold a National Conference on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) with the theme: Beyond the Propaganda: Unveiling the Truth About GMOs.
It would be recalled that in May this year, the House of Representatives rightly proposed a motion to probe the introduction of GMOs in Nigeria and urged the Federal Government to suspend the introduction of new GMO crops in the country.
HOMEF applauded the decision, saying that it must be followed up to ensure that the investigation process is unbiased and that the concerned agencies get acquainted with all the relevant information on which to make their recommendations.
Executive Director of HOMEF, Nnimmo Bassey said: “There has been uproar in the country since the most recent approval of the TELA Maize genetically modified to be pest resistant and drought tolerant.
“Major concerns expressed by the public include the secrecy with which these GMOs are deployed, the implication of corporate control of seeds and the Nigerian food system, the contamination of the country’s local genetic resources, environmental degradation, health
implications, and more.
“It is of the essence that a multi-stakeholder forum is organized to cohesively address the various concerns with GMOs, review the experience so far, and come up with clear resolutions regarding their deployment and use as well as solutions for food sovereignty in Nigeria.”
Speaking about the summit, HOMEF’s Director of Programmes, Joyce Brown, noted: “Since the enactment of the National Biosafety Management Agency Act in 2015, over 20 different crop varieties have been approved by the agency for various purposes including commercial release and market placement.
“As of June 28, 2024, according to information available on the Biosafety Clearing House (BCH) (where countries that are signatories to the Biological Convention on Biodiversity are required to upload information regarding decisions on GMOs), Nigeria has approved 25 GM products with 11 positioned for field trials; four for commercial release and 10 for food, feed or processing.
The conference will address issues related to the regulation of GMOs and approval processes, risk assessment, access to information, as well as the health, economic and environmental implications of GMOs. It will also highlight the way forward for food sovereignty in Nigeria.
