Experts have called on government to place average of 10 years moratorium on the further release of Genetically Modified crops in Nigeria to safe guide human health, the environment and biodiversity until the country is able to label its food in the open market.
This was disclosed by experts at a sensitization workshop, organized for farmers by the Health of the Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) in Abuja, where they challenged the National Biotechnology Development Agency and principal researchers behind the production of GMO to a national debate over the safety of modified varieties.
The HOMEF is a non-government organization established to equip people to voice protest against oppression and pollution in their environment to ensure prevalent of justice on nature’s cycles at policy, corporate, and individual level.
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The Executive Director of HOMEF, Ninmo Bassey, noted that the workshop was necessary to let farmers know what is happening to food systems and the steps that need to be taken, adding that they need to enlighten farmers about the failure of government in putting measures to preserve traditional foods in place.
Also speaking was Dr. Kashima Ifeanyi, who is a Molecular biologist, he explained that they are voicing out as stakeholders to create a situation whereby people will have an option to buy either GM crop or non-GM crops because it is dangerous if that is not put in place, hence the need for a moratorium.
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Ifeanyi stressed the need to appraise the damage done by GM crops in the society, while lamenting the unwholesome release of GM crops, adding that GM seeds were being sold to farmers unknowingly with the deceit that it would transform their economy.
