Following the move by the agricultural giant, Monsanto, to introduce Genetically Modified, GM maize and cotton in the Nigerian agricultural sector, Nigerians and Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, have rejected the products because of the health and environmental dangers it will pose to the sector and nation at large.
This was disclosed by the Director, Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Rev. Nnimmo Bassey, as he explained the implications involved in the acceptance of Genetically Modified Organisms, GMOs by the government and stakeholders in the sector.
According to Bassey the rejection of the
GM maize and cotton was by over five million Nigerians, comprising of farmers, faith-based organisations, civil society groups, students and local community groups.
The HOMEF boss further stated that written objections submitted to the biosafety regulators, numerous serious health and environmental concerns and the failure of these crops especially GM cotton in Africa were cited as examples and the potential hazards that these crops could cause the nation’s agric sector.
In their objection to the commercial release of Bt cotton into Nigeria, other groups are particularly alarmed that the application has come so close after the dismal failures of Bt cotton in Burkina Faso by Monsanto.
He said the CSOs were concerned about no testing of any food material and products in Nigeria for glyphosate or other pesticide residues, or the monitoring of their impact on the environment including water resources, whereby urged the Buhari led government to reject Monsanto’s applications for the introduction of GM maize and cotton in the sector.
According to the CSOs Monsanto’s application deceitfully provides no discussion on the potential risks of glysophate use to human and animal health and the environment. Apart from the potential of contaminating local varieties, the health risk of the introduction of genetically modified maize into Nigeria is enormous considering the fact that maize is a staple that all of 170 million Nigerians depend on.
“We are totally shocked that it should come so soon after peer reviewed studies have showed that the technology has failed dismally in Burkina Faso. It has brought nothing but economic misery to the cotton sector there and is being phased out in that country where compensation is being sought from Monsanto.
“Since our Bio-safety Act has only recently entered into force, what bio-safety legislation was used to authorise and regulate the field trials in the past in accordance with international law and best biosafety practice?” he asked.
According to the CSOs, former President Goodluck Jonathan, hastily signed the National Biosafety Management Bill into law, in the twilight days of his tenure in office. Further worrying is the apparent conflict of interests displayed by the Nigerian regulatory agencies, who are publically supporting the introduction of GMOs into Nigeria whereas these regulators (the NAMBA) are legally bound to remain impartial and regulate in the public interest.
Monsanto’s GMO maize application is in respect of a stacked event, including the herbicide tolerant trait intended to confer tolerance to the use of the herbicide, glyphosate.
The statement revealed that in 20 March 2015 – The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the specialized cancer agency of the World Health Organization (WHO), assessed the carcinogenicity of glysophate and concluded that glyphosate is “probably carcinogenic to humans.” There is also increasing scientific evidence that glyphosate poses serious risks to the environment.
The Friends of the Earth International’s Food Sovereignty coordinator, Mariann Orovwuje, warned and raised alarm over the proposed field trials of Monsanto GM maize and cotton, “Should commercialization of Monsanto’s GM maize be allowed pursuant to field trials, this will result in increased use of glyphosate in Nigeria, a chemical that is linked to causing cancer in humans.
“Recent studies have linked glyphosate to health effects such as degeneration of the liver and kidney, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. That NABMA is even considering this application is indeed unfortunate and deeply regrettable, knowing full well about the uncontrolled exposure that our rural farmers and communities living close to farms will be exposed to”, Orovwuje said.
