Public health and food experts have described the gradual introduction of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) into the Nigerian food system as unhealthy.
The experts made the assertion on Wednesday at a webinar organised by the Home of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) to mark the 2024 World Food Day.
They urged the federal government to take urgent steps in tackling the introduction of GMOs into the nation’s food system.
Speaking at the webinar with the theme, “Safe Foods for Better Life and Better Future,” the experts reasoned that the use of GMOs would deny Nigerians the right to safe and healthy foods.
In her presentation, Ms Joy Brown, Director of Programme, HOMEF, said biotechnology had implications on the rights of consumers, farmers and the environment.
“We are using this event to highlight the implications of modern agricultural biotechnology on consumers, farmers, environment and the food system,” she said.
Ms Brown, a Public Health Expert, urged the federal government to look at the human rights implications of its decision regarding the use of GMOs in the food system.
She said the approval of genetically modified organisms by the government was in outright disregard to the right of Nigerians.
Another resource person, Mariann Bassey-Orovwuje, expressed concerns that the socio-economic system did not protect consumers’ rights to make choices.
“This is because labelling is not very effective in the country. It is difficult for consumers to determine products that are genetically modified.
“Our markets are not designed in ways to differentiate between organic foods and GMOs, this is a key right issue,” she said.
Ms Bassey-Orovwuje said it was wrong for farmers to depend on biotechnology firms for seeds every season.
“The productivity of genetically modified seeds reduce after the first generation, this undermines the culture of seed saving and sharing among local farmers,” she said.
Segun Adebayo, Deputy Director, Centre for Food Safety and Agricultural Research, said the processes of GMOs approval in Nigeria were fraught with flaws.
He said that it was not sufficient to announce notification of applications on the website of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA).
“Many people do not even know that such website exists, there is no risk assessment report on the NBMA website indicating that due diligence was done before these products were released,” he said.
Mr Adebayo called for the review of the NBMA Act to tackle identified flaws in the country’s biosafety regulatory system.
(NAN)
