Genetically Modified Crops Harmful for Human Consumption, Group Insists

James Emejo

The Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), an environmental justice and policy advocacy group, has strengthened its campaign against the adoption of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) crops, insisting these are not only detrimental to human health but to the soil as well. 
An Associate Professor, Department of Soil Resources Management, University of Ibadan, Mr. Olugbenga Adeoluwa, said most of the genetic alterations in seeds involved chemical manipulations, which are unhealthy for humans and the environment. 
He told THISDAY that by and large, “We are destroying the environment by our various methods of agricultural practices”.
But he said the organic farming approach, which is a subset of agroecology, offered the safest and most sustainable agriculture that is both beneficial for humans and the environment.”
Speaking at the practical agroecology training for farmers and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Abuja, Adeoluwa, who is also the Continental Coordinator, Network of Organic Agriculture Researches in Africa, further said Nigerian agricultural exports to Europe and other international markets had often been rejected over the use and abuse of chemicals especially in preserving the produce.
He told THISDAY, “It’s a dangerous situation. Banned chemicals from other countries get into the hands of farmers here and there’s no control. The farmers producing them can’t even consume them because many of them know the impact this would have on human health.”
He added that agroecology remained the way to go as it enables good market and good agricultural practices, stressing that 
organic farming is based on approved standards that regulate the planting, processing and handling processes. 
Also speaking to THISDAY, Head of Communications, HOMEF, Kome Odhomor, said the new GMO seeds, which are being distributed to farmers “are the things that are destroying our soil”.
She said, “These seeds have chemicals. We all know about GMOs. These are things that HOMEF has constantly talked about. We are not in support of GMOs in our society and that’s why we decided to put these programmes together about agro-ecology.”
Odhomor said, “We are of the opinion that agro-ecology can definitely feed Nigeria and we are here today to train farmers on how they can use organic fertilisers. We are not in support of GMOs in our society.
“We are teaching them how organic fertilisers can be used to preserve our environment. These organic fertilisers can be used to nurture the soil and also produce good food which would be good for each and every one of us.”
Further commenting on the health implications of GMO-enhanced produce, she said, “Recently, we’ve been seeing too many cases of cancers, infections and skin diseases that we can’t know where they are coming from and most of these things can sometimes be attributed to the kinds of food we eat- too much of chemicals. 
“So, we are trying to use this programme today to educate farmers to let them know that there are natural ways of producing these things and can actually be beneficial to them.”