A Civil Society Organisation, Health of Mother Earth Foundation, HOMEF, in collaboration with the Genetically Mutilated Organism (GMO)-Free Nigeria Alliance and the Network of Women and Youth in Agriculture, have urged the Nigerian Government to ban the use of GMOs and inorganic pesticides in farming.
They said apart from the health risks GMOs and inorganic pesticides pose, they’ve brought a lot of economic downturn to both farmers and the Federal Government.
A statement by Kome Odhomor, HOMEF Media/Communication Lead on Saturday, said the organizations made the call during a practical training on agroecology for farmers in Enugu State.
While calling on farmers to go back to the type of agriculture that aligns with nature, the organisations highlighted some implications of GMOs in Nigeria to include loss of biodiversity and nutritional diversity and soil degradation, as well as health complications.
The statement noted that a report by the Alliance for Action on Pesticides in Nigeria showed that more than 50 per cent of registered pesticides in Nigeria are Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) and over 40 per cent of the
registered active pesticides in Nigeria are already banned in the European Union, EU, and other countries of the world for not meeting safety standards.
It added that over 76 per cent of Nigeria’s food exports are rejected in the EU and Asia for not meeting safety standards.
It further observed that agricultural products like beans, sesame seeds, melon seeds, dried fish, dried meat, peanut chips, groundnut, palm oil and yam, exported from Nigeria, have in the past 10 years been banned by the EU partly due to the presence of dangerous pesticide residues.
Parts of the statement read, “The Federal Government of Nigeria should ban the use of GMOs and ensure the preservation of local/natural seed varieties. Farmers are encouraged to stop the use of inorganic fertilisers and pesticides on their farms.
“According to a report by the Alliance for Action on Pesticides in Nigeria – more than 50% of registered pesticides in Nigeria are Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) and over 40% of the
registered active pesticides in Nigeria are already banned in the EU and other countries of the world for not meeting safety standards.
“Besides the health implications, the use of these pesticides present economic challenges for Nigeria – Over 76% of Nigeria’s food exports are
rejected in the EU and Asia for not meeting safety standards.”
The statement called on government to increase support for farmers through timely provision of needed infrastructure, and access to credit and land, especially for women.
It also urged government to promote agroecology and partner relevant agencies to organize more training on production of organic pesticides and fertilizers.
Nigerian Govt urged to ban use of GMOs, inorganic pesticides
