Nasidi Adamu Yahaya
18 December 2008
The Federal Government's decision to accept the dictates of local or foreign modern biotechnology promoters of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) may lead to voiding the precautionary principle and surrendering Nigeria's food sovereignty to colonialists whose only interest is profit and turning Nigeria into dumping ground for unproven technologies, Environmental Rights Action (ERA) has warned.
ERA, in a statement said its admonition is based on government's decision to embrace the "gene revolution" which informed a resolution to sign a memorandum of understanding with the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) in Kenya to introduce biotechnology products to Nigerian farmers.
It said Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources, Abba Ruma had told a recent workshop on biotechnology and food security organized by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Plateau State, that Nigeria still spent US$3 billion annually on food importation.
To reverse the trend, the minister had said there was need to embrace genetic engineering, which he claimed, has the potential to increase production in agriculture and higher yields in marginal lands in countries that cannot grow enough food to feed their people.
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