GMOs: Environmental Advocates Warn Of Risk In Food Culture, Public Health

By Bukar BOLORI

Environmental advocates have warned that shifting weather patterns, corporate dominance and weak regulatory structures are placing the country’s food culture and public health at risk.

According to climate and extractive governance expert, Olamide Martins of Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), the effects of climate change on agriculture are no longer abstract.

He lamented that erratic rainfall, rising temperatures and environmental degradation have disrupted traditional farming cycles that once ensured stable food production.

He noted that decades ago, farmers could rely on predictable weather patterns, but those conditions have steadily declined due to fossil fuel use, extractive activities and environmental neglect.

Beyond climate change, Martins expressed concern about the increasing role of multinational corporations in shaping what Nigerians eat.

He argued that genetically modified organisms (GMOs), often promoted as a solution to food insecurity, have not delivered the promised results, but instead have deepened dependence on external systems while weakening local food control.

He insisted that at the heart of the advocacy is food sovereignty—the right of people to determine what they grow, how it is produced and what they consume, while emphasized that food is central to cultural identity and national resilience, warning that losing control over food systems amounts to losing a critical part of societal autonomy.

He said health implications are also a growing concern.

Activists at the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF)’s organized the national convergence and food festival to celebrate Nigeria’s food, cultural diversity, and rich biodiversity, linked the rise in diet-related illnesses to highly processed and imported foods that are increasingly replacing indigenous diets.

They decried that with Nigeria’s healthcare system already under strain, there is urgent need for caution and sensitization that widespread dependence on modified and industrial food products could worsen public health outcomes.

Advocates called for a return to agroecology, organic farming and indigenous agricultural practices as sustainable alternatives.

They argue that strengthening local farming systems will not only protect the environment but also improve nutrition, preserve culture and empower communities.

While acknowledging that the struggle for food sovereignty is a long one, campaigners remain committed to raising public awareness.

They stress that poverty often forces people to consume whatever food is available, but insist that access to healthy, culturally appropriate food should be a right, not a privilege.

As debates around climate change, food security and public health continue, stakeholders say the future of Nigeria’s food system depends on policies that place people, sustainability and sovereignty above profit.

On her part, HOMEF Director of Programmes Joyce Brown expressed concern over growing rapid shift in eating habits with more Nigerians increasingly preferring processed and “fancy” foods over traditional meals.

She noted that this changing behaviour, combined with weak policies and the spread of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), is putting Nigeria’s food culture, farmers’ rights and public health at serious risk.

She noted that the occasion was hosted by HOMEF to refocus public attention on the importance of local foods and indigenous seeds.

According to her, the dominance of processed and imported foods is not only eroding cultural identity but also threatening sustainable food production.

She decried that GMOs pose a major challenge to farmers’ control over their seeds and how food is grown, arguing that when farmers lose access to indigenous seeds, food production becomes dependent on external actors, often driven by corporate interests.

She said to counter this trend, government needs to actively support agroecology, which promotes environmentally friendly farming methods and protects local food systems.

She explained that agroecology would enable farmers to access local seeds, improve farming infrastructure and continue producing healthy foods capable of sustaining communities, adding that food should not be seen merely as a means of satisfying hunger but as a vital part of culture, medicine and life itself.

At the occasion, researchers and campaigners also expressed concern over the extinction of several indigenous seed varieties. Some local crops that were once common can no longer be found in many communities.

They attributed this decline to the influx of foreign agricultural products, often introduced under the banner of foreign direct investment, as well as the growing involvement of local businesses in industrial farming without adequate regulation.

On the policy front, the group pointed to gaps in existing laws regulating GMOs.

While Nigeria has a biosafety law intended to guide the use of genetically modified seeds, they say the framework lacks strong safeguards to protect farmers, consumers and the environment.

Key principles such as precaution, accountability and meaningful public participation are either weakly enforced or missing altogether.

They also raised concerns about large-scale agricultural investments entering the country without proper environmental impact assessments.

According to the advocates, government must strengthen policies to ensure that such investments undergo rigorous scrutiny before approval.Parents were identified as key drivers of food choices at the household level.

The campaigners urged families to prioritise local foods, noting that many health challenges have been linked to over-processed diets.

They warned that continued dependence on such foods could place further strain on Nigeria’s already overstretched healthcare system.

In their engagement with policymakers, the group disclosed that they had submitted petitions to the National Assembly calling for stronger support for local farmers and a halt to GMO approvals pending independent research.

They also referenced earlier recommendations by lawmakers for a suspension of GMO approvals until approval processes are thoroughly reviewed.

While acknowledging that the push to reclaim food sovereignty is a long-term struggle, the campaigners said they remain committed to raising awareness and influencing policy.

They insisted that protecting local foods and seeds is essential not only for health and the environment, but also for preserving Nigeria’s cultural identity and ensuring a sustainable future.