Environmental Rights Action, ERA, and some faith-based organisations have kicked against the introduction of genetically-modified cotton and maize into the nation’s food and farming systems. In a petition signed and addressed to the National Bio-safety Management Agency, NABMA, the groups listed some serious health and environmental reasons, noting failures of these crops, especially cotton in Africa. The petition was signed on-behalf of the groups by the Food Sovereignty Manager of the Environmental Rights Action, ERA/Friends of the Earth International, Mariann Orovwuje and the Director, Health of Mother Earth Foundation, HoMEF. Nnimmo Bassey.
This came on the heels of an application by Monsanto Agricultural Nigeria Limited to the NABMA for the release of genetically-modified cotton (BT cotton, event MON 15985) into the northern market. The company also applied for the confined field trial (CFT) of two genetically- modified maize varieties, (NK603 and stacked event MON 89034 x NK603) in multiple locations in the country. In a swift objection to the commercial release of the products into the Nigerian market, the rights groups raised the alarm that the planned introduction of the products into the country was due to dismal failures of Bt cotton in Burkina Faso.
“We are totally shocked that it should come so soon, after peer reviewed studies have shown that the technology has failed dismally in Burkina Faso”’, Mr. Bassey of HoMEF stated. Bt corn is a variant of maize that has been genetically altered to express one or more proteins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis. Its protein is poisonous to certain insect pests and is widely used in organic gardening. The European corn borer causes about a billion dollars in damage to corn crops each year. In recent years, traits have been added to ward off Corn ear worms and root worms, the latter of which annually causes about a billion dollars in damages. Experts said when a vulnerable insect eats the Bt-containing plant; the protein is activated in its gut, which is alkaline. In the alkaline environment the protein partially unfolds and is cut by other proteins, forming a toxin that paralyzes the insect’s digestive system and forms holes in the gut wall. The insect stops eating within a few hours and eventually starves.