By Kelechi Deca
One very contentious issue that has occupied more than its fair share in the public narrative space across the country is the issue of genetically modified organisms (GMO), especially its application to agriculture and food production. Over the last few days, the arguments for or against GMO foods and agro products have become deafening such that sieving the noise from the issues is becoming difficult.
Last year I visited one West African country where the director of their national seeds bank took me to an underground facility where they preserved all the seeds of every seed bearing plant from that country.
We got talking about seed sovereignty, GMOs, politics and economics of agriculture, and where Africa should pitch its tent. It was an eye opening discourse and my ignorance gained enlightenment.
He made some calls, and two days later we traveled to a neighbouring country at the invitation of that country’s national seeds protection agency. That was a wow moment for me. I was cleared to join discussions with some experts on the pros and cons of partial and wholesome adoptions.
I also got access to highly privileged information regarding the efforts of the transnational companies to impose their seeds on African countries and the very low levels of knowledge within some African countries regarding some of these issues. Some policy notes I have seen failed to make proper distinctions between GMO cash crops and GMO food crops that are grown for human and animal consumption.
Reading some Nigerians make very categorical statements on an issue many of us still have limited knowledge on is worrisome. This field though has been with us for centuries.
Yes, I know that modern bananas are a hybrid of two wild banana species, Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana to create the seedless sweet one we enjoy today. I also know that the large, sweet strawberries we enjoy today are a result of breeding the smaller, less sweet wild strawberry.
Yes, ancient watermelons were much smaller and less sweet before men selectively bred them to be larger, sweeter, with fewer seeds. Corn was domesticated from teosinte, a wild grass in Mexico, and has undergone significant changes over thousands of years of human cultivation.
Tomatoes were originally small and bitter, Broccoli and Cauliflower were both developed from wild cabbage, Brassica oleracea, while Carrots were originally purple or yellow, modern orange carrots were bred for their color and sweetness.
Almonds used to be bitter and potentially toxic until it was transformed into the sweet almond we eat today. Similarly your groundnuts came from a hybrid of two earlier types, the Arachis ipaensis and Arachis duranensis.
Yes we know all these, and even more, but I also went to Burkina Faso to know what happened between the Cotton Farmers who embraced GMO seeds years ago when most people in Nigeria didn’t know about it. Why did they abandon it and revert to their former traditional seeds?
As a centrist, I always love to explore all sides of an issue instead of throwing away the baby with bathwater. For example, on the issue of soil disruptions from using GMO crops. Can we use this to tackle some challenges?
It is claimed that GM crops with enhanced root systems might reduce soil erosion and improve soil structure, indirectly impacting the soil’s physical and chemical properties. Can such crops be deployed to areas with massive soil erosion to mitigate the damages?
As Igbo people often say, “Nkwucha abụrọ ụjọ” meaning that applying caution is not cowardice
To what extent can we deploy GMO plants to checkmate desertification and build a massive green wall across our savannah region and also green our cities? I am interested in the trees and how we can use them as green covers.
I am planning to line the major road in my village with lush green trees on both sides, if I lay my hands on any GM tree that would give me that ambience, I’ll plant them.
But some studies suggest that GM crops can alter the composition of soil microbial communities, as root exudates, and plant residues can affect the types and abundance of microorganisms. To what extent is this not a good thing for us? And what efforts are being made for more research to understand the long-term effects of GM crops on soil ecosystems, particularly the potential for unintended consequences.
Another quite disturbing issue is the reports that GMO crops impact their environment in more ways that we envisage, and most especially through pollination. Reports say that when cross pollination occurs between GMO crops and non GMO crops that it renders the non GMO crops infertile. This and many other concerns of the anti GMO camp need to be adequately researched before jumping into wholesome adoption.
I have read some people say that there is no scientific evidence to show that GMO foods negatively affect humans. That is correct because it is based on what is known now. And what is known now is not all there is. That is to say that the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. The above claim is made based on the availability of information and knowledge we have presently. Knowledge is progressive.
“Because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns—the ones we don’t know we don’t know.”
In all these, what do we know ourselves for ourselves for our own environment instead of what outsiders know and tell us? Do we have a regulatory framework for GMO safety and biosafety certificates for GM crops?
As Igbo people often say, “Nkwucha abụrọ ụjọ” meaning that applying caution is not cowardice
Kelechi Deca, a journalist and public affairs commentator writes from Lagos.
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