At last, genetically modified organic food, products have come to stay despite initial mounting agitations against it. SUNNY IDACHABA reports.
Of late, owing to food scarcity and general soil depletion due to climate change in the country, attention is being shifted to genetically modified organic (GMO) food using modern scientific methods as against the traditional methods of raising crops for food production.
Initial resistance to GMO products
At the initial times, controversy had trailed GMO products especially the recently approved genetically-modified Tela maize variety just introduced into the market by a Nigerian. Some farmers and rights groups called for the outright ban of the cereal from being sold in any market within the shores of the country, saying it is dangerous to human health.
The agitators against the maize specie even went ahead to publish a certain photo of infected individuals down with rashes all over their body as indicative of the effect of consuming the cereal.
One thing however the viral photo failed to prove is the exact location of such ailment within the four walls of the country. It is for this reason that some concerned stakeholders in the food chain industry are asking the government which gave a nod for use of certain classes of genetically-modified food products to ignore the call for policy reversal, saying all are mere conspiracy theories.
For instance, sometimes ago, the chairman of Global Prolife Alliance, one Philip Njemanze went viral with his condemnation of GMO food especially Tela maize. This was after he wrote a letter to the National Assembly calling for the total ban of GMO foods even as he described it as a national threat.
In the said letter, he alleged that genetically modified foods like maize contains what he called an epicyte gene linked to sterilisation; therefore, he noted with a sense of concern that allowing such foods to be consumed in the country would amount to mass sterilisation of Nigerians.
In his argument, he stated that genetic use restriction technology makes plants to produce sterile seeds in the second generation known as ‘suicide seeds’.
He said, “Biotechnology companies intend to permanently control Nigeria’s food security by ensuring that farmers must purchase seeds each planting season.
“To address these security concerns, the government should consider implementing a complete ban on all GMO seeds and crops in Nigeria.”
In his opinion, the use of GMO foods would result in the perpetual capture of the financial, health and human resources of Nigeria by foreign biotech investors.
Yes to GMO products
In a reaction to Njemanze, the national president of All Farmers Association of Nigeria Kabiru Ibrahim said the antagonists of GMO foods are merely fabricating non existent issues.
Speaking about the perceived inherent danger in Tela maize, for instance, Ibrahim said, “The proponents of the propaganda against Tela maize brand of cereal knew they were out on what I can call vendetta mission over nothing. I think their leader has eventually told them to withdraw their propaganda because he eventually had a discussion with the person who created Tela maize, Prof Rabiu Adamu of ABU Zaria and his fears were allayed; so he said he would go back to justify that the science was not harmful. The one who created the Tela maize is in Zaria here; therefore, it is safe.
“Again, something strange was trending about someone calling the name of God, sounding somewhat religious and condemning Tela maize. I am here now challenge anyone to come out and tell us that the disease being circulated on the social media is as a result of consuming Tela maize. There are many explanations to some of the things being said. There is a sort of conspiracy theory against Tela maize because with it, you don’t need to spray insecticide on it for preservation, so those people who produce and market pesticides can even sponsor the smear campaign against Tela maize. As far as I’m concerned, Tela maize is produced here by our own scientists and I challenge anyone with any fact to name any corporation that allegedly gave me the president of Nigerian farmers money to speak in favour of any deadly GMO food. I am the mouth-piece of the farmers and as their president, I am to protect them and their interest; not the other way round,” he said.
Some agric experts whom Ibrahim described as pessimists are of the fear that the sudden embrace of Tela maize, for instance, said to be pest-resistant with additional benefit of high yield would undermine farmers’ livelihoods, destroy the environment and lead to mass sterilisation of Nigerians. To those classes of people, he however advised them to drop their fears as government agencies in charge of food regulation is aware of ongoing need to put genuine genetically modified food on the table of Nigerians.
FG’s nod for GMO
It could be recalled that the federal government in January 2023 gave nod for the introduction and production of GMO foods in the country due to the looming food crisis where it is estimated that over 148.7 million Nigerians may face acute food shortage beginning from now till the next 10 years, if nothing is done about it, the reason for which approval was given for about 23 new maize varieties to be introduced for commercial planting, including four genetically-modified Tela maize varieties. This makes Nigeria the second African country to approve commercialisation of genetically modified cereals.
Differing view
Despite the clarification by Ibrahim about GMO food, opinion still varies. Speaking on this matter, the president, Association of Organic Agriculture Practitioners of Nigeria, Jude Obi said GMO maize and other products would hurt the economy on the long run as it would not help to address issues that have led to low production of food crops in the country, just as he said that the discovery of oil had a negative drastic effect on food and crops production over the years because attention suddenly shifted from agriculture to petrol dollars. Aside that, he said GMO technology would adversely distort the eco system already fragmented by climate change.
“Let me say that the danger of GMO is that it creates an imbalance in the ecosystem and ultimately push the farming public into seed slavery. For me, it is another form of colonisation of the people because it shows your dependency on other developed countries to develop your food chain.”
In Obi’s opinion, the continued reliance on imported foods would put pressure on the country’s foreign exchange market that is currently fragile.
It’s GMO all the way
What Obi however does not realise is that even if GMO foods are all imported into the country, agencies like NAFDAC and SON charged with food and products regulations are at every point on duty to ensure those products comply with local standards. Aside that, Blueprint Weekend gathered that the nod given by the government is not entirely for importation of all food products, but the local production of such genetically modified foods, just like Tela maize.
Taking on Obi on that matter is the president Biotechnology Society of Nigeria, Prof Sylvia Uzochukwu who clarified it that scientifically, GMOs are not a threat or a form of ‘biotechnology terrorism’ as being made to be believed.
Using the example of Tela maize, she said from all scientific indications, it has gone through various trial tests before being released into the markets; therefore safe for human consumption and environmentally friendly. She therefore wants everyone to be rested as the whole world is using biotechnology for food and livestock production globally as a result of the effects of climate change.
Africa and GMO products
So far, four crops (maize, cowpea, cotton and soybean) were officially approved by the federal government for commercialisation. Nigeria is listed among the six African countries leading in biotech crop adoption across the continent. Tela maize is the latest GMO variety approved for commercial planting in Nigeria. Other countries in Africa include South Africa which is the largest growers of GMO crops, Burkina Faso which started cultivating GMO crops since 2008 and Egypt also in 2008. Others are Sudan which embraced GMO crops in 2012, Ethiopia, Kenya, Ghana and Zambia. The common GMO crops among these countries is Tela maize, cowpea, soya beans and insect-resistant cotton.
The main concerns around GMO products generally has to do with allergies, cancer and environmental issues which may potentially affect the consumers; however, investigation has shown that despite mounting concerns, there are fewer risks even as more long-term research is advocated.
Over the years, but especially in recent times, Nigeria has been struggling to feed its 200 million people because of the huge gap between demand/supply of grains which is one of the staple foods in the country.
It could be recalled that in 2022, Nigeria produced 12.9 million metric tonnes of maize, according to Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). In 2016, the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources puts the demand for grain at 15 million. From that time till now, the figure has increased due to rising demand of cereal.
Going by this figure therefore, Nigeria has a supply-demand gap of about 2.1 million tonnes per annum which may not be filled easily through traditional farming methods except modified food production technology is applied. This is not taking into cognisance of the effects of insecurity on farming publics.
