HOMEF faults GMO crops’ rescue claim to world’s growing population

The Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has faulted the claim that genetically modified (GM) crops remain the veritable source of food to world’s projected 10 billion population.

Puncturing the assertion at a dialogue with civil society organisations (CSOs) hosted by the organisation in Benin City, Edo State, its Director Dr. Nnimmo Bassey, described food as critical to human lives.

He emphasised the benefits of nourishment derivable from eating good meals.

Bassey, who spoke on “food and farming systems in Nigeria”, stated that food sovereignty defines the right of people at all times to access to safe, nutritious, healthy and culturally appropriate food, produced using methods that are ecologically sound and sustainable.

He explained that presenting GM crops as the solution for food production in the future was a propaganda, adding that the style of messaging had been used to make people accept modules that contradict their interest.

“Why is the claim that GM foods will be the main way to feed the world mere propaganda and an assumption that consumers do not think before shoving foods down their throats? First, researchers have shown that at present, food enough to feed 13 billion persons is already being produced. This means that feeding 10 billion is already possible and the numbers in themselves should be the reason for agitation, “Bassey queried.

He noted that food wastage was a major contributory factor to hunger globally, the second being the deployment of foodstuff for industrial production rather than feeding people.

The environmental expert posited that food production for increasing needs was achievable through food sovereignty, adding that there was more to feeding than just ingestion of cuisines.

A professor environmental/genetic toxicology at the University of Benin, Dan Olorunfemi, cautioned against GM crops, saying it is unsafe for consumers, citing research findings.