GMO: HOMEF Calls For Decolonisation Of Nigeria’s Agricultural System

Executive Director of Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Nnimmo Bassey

The Executive Director of Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Nnimmo Bassey, has called for the decolonisation of Nigeria’s agricultural system, citing the need to preserve crop and animal varieties, rebuild food systems, and recover culture.

Speaking at a national symposium on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), Bassey emphasised that the current agricultural system is a product of colonialism and has led to the erosion of biodiversity, dependence on foreign seeds, and environmental degradation.

Bassey argued that GMOs are a threat to food sovereignty, as they promote monoculture, erode biodiversity, and concentrate power in the hands of a few market players.

He noted that GMOs have not been proven to increase food production or reduce hunger and that countries like Tanzania have achieved food sufficiency without GMOs by supporting local farmers and promoting organic food production.

Bassey emphasised the need for a precautionary approach to biosafety issues, citing the potential risks of GMOs to human and environmental health.

He called for a moratorium on all types of agricultural modern biotechnology, arguing that it is a key means of eroding species varieties and threatening outright extinctions.

To decolonise agriculture, Bassey proposed several measures, including: Preserving crop and animal varieties; Rebuilding food systems and recovering culture. Providing support systems for farmers, including extension services and rural infrastructure; Ensuring farmers have access to land and funding research institutions to build a knowledge base on healthy soils and resilient indigenous crops; and prioritising the precautionary principle in biosafety issues and outlawing harmful herbicides and pesticides.

Bassey concluded by calling on Nigerians to demand the liberation of their food system, emphasising that the country’s agricultural future depends on the choices made today.

He urged policymakers to prioritise food sovereignty and to take a precautionary approach to GMOs, rather than rushing to adopt a technology that could have devastating consequences for the environment and human health.

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