GMOs: Is Nigeria's Food Security Under Threat?

Introducing the bioengineered TELA maize hybrid "has a direct impact on many counts" on Nigeria's food system. This government initiative violates the integrity of the country's natural environment, potentially leading to the "loss of other native varieties," says Nnimmo Bassey, Director of Health of Mother Earth Foundation, a Nigerian ecological think tank, during an interview with Sputnik Africa.

"The introduction of GMO TELA maize, or any other GMO for that matter, has a very profound impact on our knowledge system, on ecological knowledge, as well as resource democracy. The idea of resource democracy is that we have control over what happens in our environment, and we decide what should be exploited and what should be preserved," remarks Bassey.

However, Dr. Rose Suniso Maxwell Gidado, Director of the Agricultural Biotechnology Department at the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), Nigeria, attributes the public outcry over the introduction of the genetically modified TELA maize crop to "ignorance," lack of scientific knowledge, and business interests.

"It's actually a burning issue everywhere now in Nigeria [...]. The outcry is multifaceted. I think one, we have ignorance on it. Many people are ignorant of those scientific facts [...] and in some ways [...] it has to do with trade issues. [...] The organics don't really believe in genetic modification technology. And then some from the agro-allied industries that actually produce chemicals and sell chemicals," Dr. Gidado says.

Additionally, Dr. Kwaku Onwona-Hwesofour Asante, a research scientist from Ghana, discusses GMOs, particularly TELA maize, the science behind genetic modification, its benefits, and the public controversies and doubts surrounding these technologies due to inadequate awareness.

Furthermore, Dr. Vandana Shiva, a renowned Indian advocate for food sovereignty, provides insights into the impact of GMO maize on Nigeria, focusing on local farming communities, foreign and agribusiness interests, and the overall effects on biodiversity and ecological sustainability.

To find out what else our guest had to say, tune in to the African Currents podcast, brought to you by Sputnik Africa.

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