Genetically Modified Food Good for Nigeria

Tag : Nutritional Value in Sweet Potatoes

Abuja, Jul 16, 2008 (Daily Trust/All Africa Global Media via COMTEXNews Network) -- At a recent roundtable Conference on theintroduction of Genetically Modified Crops in Nigeria, the Ministerof Science and Technology Chief (Mrs.) Grace Ekpiwhre almostshouted blue murder about the looming food crises in Sub-SaharanAfrica.
According to Mrs. Ekpiwhre, a situation where food production hasactually declined over the past decades calls for concern andcollective efforts to arrest the trend. Between 1980 and 1985,yields of staple crops fell by an average of 8% compared to anincrease of 27% in Asia and 12% in Latin America.
In the specific case of Nigeria, the current agricultural growth isput at a meager 4.5% which is far below the ever increasing fooddemands of our rising population. As a way of short-circulating theproblem, Mrs. Ekpiwhre made a strong case for the utilization oftransgenic crop technology for increased agricultural productivity,better nutrition and improved crop resistance to pests and drought.
In other words, in the words of the Minister, the option ofGenetically Modified Crops, as is being developed by the NationalBiotechnology Development Agency, an agency of the Ministry shouldbe explored to the maximum.
Genetically engineered Crops are Crops in which the genetic code isscientifically altered to produce foods with a desired trait. Theterm "genetically modified" refers to the alteration of geneticmaterial. In essence, It is a process whereby the genes of oneorganism have been "cut out" and then pasted into another organism.
There has been a lot of controversy on the desirability of GMFoods/organism with foreign advocacy groups like Greenpeace raisingalarm on the health risk of the foods. They argue that the foodIndustry should be more open and transparent in the creation andtesting of GM Foods. The case is also made against GM food for thelack of scientific evidence on the effects of modified Food onhuman health. Critics also point to the inadequacy of safety testtechnology to assess potential harm as well as the fact that theyallegedly carry unpredictable toxins, thereby increasing the riskof allergenic reactions.
On the contrary, GM advocates aver that GM plants are often createdto resist disease and eliminate the need for pesticides. This superCrops is also said to produce a harder texture, higher nutritionalvalue or faster growth. All said, given the large share ofagriculture in our Gross Domestic Product, the importance ofBiotechnology, as a national manipulation of biological objectscannot be over-emphasized.
If it is properly harnessed, biotechnology has the potential ofincreasing our food Production, enhancing the quality of food,guaranteeing cleaner environment and better and more targetspecific medicines, etc.
The National Biotechnology Development (NABDA) of the FederalMinistry of Science and Technology is currently spearheading thegains of "Biotechnology" to all sectors of the Nigerian economy.
Using various genetic manipulation techniques, many Crops such asCotton, Cowpea, Corn, Rubber, Palm tree, Cassava, Cocoa and Riceare being improved upon to produce higher yields and make themresistant to pests, diseases and environmental stresses.
The agency has successfully developed bio-resource centers in someparts of the country, the most notable being the one at Odi,Bayelsa State.
The centers teach entrepreneurs to establish farms for small tomedium scale commercial production of such items as fish, snail,cane rat (grass cutter) and mushroom. It is cheering to note thatthe products of the Farms can be developed to the volume requiredfor export. Many of the items are viable export commodities withhigh demand in the regional and international markets.
By using tissue culture technique in collaboration with RawMaterials Research and Development Council and National Root CropsResearch Institute, the National Biotechnology Development Agencyis mass propagating elite varieties of cassava.
At present, tissue culture planting materials developed by theAgency for hundreds of economic and food crops including yam sweetpotatoes, plantain, pineapple, passion fruit etc. are being sold tointerested farmers.
In order to reap maximally from Biotechnology, a technology aptlydescribed as the "technology of hope" for its vast potentials inthe food, health and environmental sustainability, the federalgovernment must facilitate demand-driven research projects that arerelevant to given ecological zones as well as specific industries.
Even though the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology hastrained over 400 Farmers in various Bioenterprises, there is needto embark on intensive training of more farmers all over thecountry for sustainable food security via Biotechnology.
In addition, with the present foray into Biotechnology by theScience and Tech Ministry, there is need to embark on intensivepublic awareness programme on the value of this latesttechnological fad. This is necessary so as to disabuse the minds ofthe farmers and other stakeholders of wrong information about GMCrops. This type of information strategy must do away with Top-downapproach system and adopt a mobilization strategy that would enablethe farmers own the new pet technological project and view it astheirs and made for their benefits.
Ekene Ezugwu is of 28 Hargeysa street Wuse Abuja and is a member ofFood and Environment for Development.