The Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), partnering with the Genetically Mutilated Organism (GMO)-Free Nigeria Alliance and the Network of Women and Youth in Agriculture, is calling upon the Nigerian Government to enforce a ban on the utilization of GMOs and inorganic pesticides in agriculture.
They highlighted that besides the health hazards posed by GMOs and inorganic pesticides, they have also led to significant economic downturns for both farmers and the Federal Government.
According to a statement by Kome Odhomor, HOMEF’s Media/Communication Lead, issued on Saturday, the organizations voiced their concerns during a hands-on training session on agroecology for farmers in Enugu State.
Encouraging farmers to embrace agricultural practices harmonious with nature, the organizations underscored several implications of GMOs in Nigeria, including loss of biodiversity, nutritional diversity, soil degradation, and health complications.
The statement highlighted a report by the Alliance for Action on Pesticides in Nigeria, revealing that over 50% of registered pesticides in Nigeria are classified as Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs). Furthermore, more than 40% of the active pesticides registered in Nigeria are already banned in the European Union (EU) and other countries worldwide due to failure to meet safety standards.
Additionally, it was noted that more than 76% of Nigeria’s food exports are declined in the EU and Asia due to failure to meet safety standards.
Additionally, it was noted that agricultural commodities such as beans, sesame seeds, melon seeds, dried fish, dried meat, peanut chips, groundnut, palm oil, and yam, exported from Nigeria, have faced bans by the EU over the past decade, partly due to the detection of hazardous pesticide residues.
Quoting parts of the statement, it emphasized, “The Nigerian Federal Government should enforce a ban on the utilization of GMOs and prioritize the preservation of local and natural seed varieties. Farmers are urged to discontinue the use of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides on their farms.”
As per a report from the Alliance for Action on Pesticides in Nigeria, over 50% of pesticides registered in Nigeria are classified as Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs), and more than 40% of these registered active pesticides have already been prohibited in the EU and various other countries due to failure to meet safety standards.
In addition to the health risks posed, the utilization of these pesticides poses economic hurdles for Nigeria. More than 76% of the country’s food exports are turned away in the EU and Asia due to failure to meet safety standards.
The statement urged the government to enhance support for farmers by ensuring timely provision of necessary infrastructure, facilitating access to credit and land, particularly for women. Additionally, it called upon the government to advocate for agroecology and collaborate with relevant agencies to organize additional training sessions on the production of organic pesticides and fertilizers.
