An expert and a lecturer at the University of Abuja, Dr. Casmir Ifeanyi, have warned the federal government against the adoption of Genetically Modified Organism (GMO).
According to the expert, nearly all studies that claim GMOs are safe are funded by the very biotechnology corporations that profit from GMO sales.
Dr. Ifeanyi during a paper presentation titled; The GMOs Ambush, said GMO crops were being clandestinely released into the Nigeria food system and are becoming increasingly alluded to as the future of agriculture.
He therefore warned that a risk to long-term food security exists because of the potential for a single-point failure as GM seeds are produced primarily by only a few large companies who own the intellectual property for the genetic variations. He added that transition to GM (crops) would closely align global food production with the activities of a few key companies.
“If that company failed, then the crop it provides would not be available to the people who depend on that crop. GM crops and related technologies are likely to consolidate control over agriculture by large producers and agro-industrial companies, to the detriment of smaller farmers
“Nigerian communities and farmers who in the last decade are steadily ensnared in growing GM crops know too little to make informed decisions. Even the supposedly Nigerian elites are largely uninformed about GMOs. Most Nigerian farmers are uneducated, and about 52.07% of these farmers had either not heard of or did not know of any benefits/costs of GM crops.
“It is incontrovertible that our traditional seeds are superior to what is being handed down to us, regrettably, we are gradually with our eyes open, entering into slavery. Akin to an ambush, genetically Modified Organism (GMO) crops are being clandestinely released into our food system and are becoming increasingly alluded to as the future of our agricultural system.
“The argument that GM is needed to secure future food production is simply a reflection of corporate interests. The domination of large multinationals in the development of GM crops evokes ethical and humanitarian concern. It brings to fore the concern about corporate ownership of seed and threats to the purity of indigenous crops.
“Notably, the global food system is significantly under the challenge of a rapidly increasing world population, climate change, weed and crop pests such as insects.
“The long-term implications of GMOs for our food system, health and environment are still largely unknown.
“However, evidence abound connecting GMOs with health issues, environmental damage, food system and even violations of consumers’ and farmers’ rights. Serious adverse events accounts for 59.46% of the total 37 identified adverse events of GM consumption,” he warned.
According to him, GMOs are laboratory-made, using technology that is totally different from natural breeding methods, and pose different risks from non-GM crops.
He said GMOs can be toxic, allergenic or less nutritious than their natural counterparts and are not adequately regulated to ensure safety; do not increase yield potential; do not reduce pesticide use but increase it and creates serious problems for farmers, including herbicide-tolerant ‘superweeds’, compromised soil quality, and increased disease susceptibility in crops.
And that this also have mixed economic effects and disrupt markets, harm soil quality, disrupt ecosystems, and reduce biodiversity; do not offer effective solutions to climate change and are as energy-hungry as any other chemically-farmed crops while it cannot solve the problem of world hunger but distract from its real causes which is poverty, lack of access to food and, increasingly, lack of access to land to grow it on.
“In-depth scientific comparison of a GM crop and its non-GM counterpart shows that the assumption of substantial equivalence is false, as unexpected differences have been found.
“Multiple animal studies show significant immune deregulations, including upregulation of cytokines [protein molecules involved in immune responses] associated with asthma, allergy, and inflammation.” – AAEM, 2009.
“It is possible that DNA fragments derived from GM plant materials may occasionally be detected in animal tissues, – FSA (UK), 2013
“DNA fragments large enough to carry complete genes can evade degradation in the digestive tract and pass from food into the blood,” he warned.
He said modern genetics favour a holistic “systems biology” approach in crop development that preserves gene organization and regulation, rather than disrupting it, as GM does.
“The way to safely and effectively generate crops with complex desirable properties such as higher yield, drought tolerance, and disease resistance is through natural breeding, augmented where useful by marker assisted selection. Conventional breeding combined with agroecological farming methods can fulfill all our current and future food needs.
“The “consensus” over GM safety is a falsely perpetuated construct. The untold truth is that regulators have not assessed these products adequately.
