By Gabriel Ewepu

AN international environmentalist and agriculturist,  Dr Vandana Shiva, has raised alarm over the proposed introduction of Genetically Modified Organisms, GMOs, in Nigeria and other African countries,  describing it as  suicidal. Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja organised by Health of Mother Earth Foundation, HOMEF, Shiva said  that Monsanto and other food corporations from the West were out in Africa to make huge profits and enslave African farmers at the expense of their well-being.

She further maintained that GMOs were not the best science and technology for food production and survival of Africans rather was deadly to the soil and human existence as she gave example of the devastation it has caused in India, United States of America, USA, and other parts of the world where they have adopted GMOs in food production.

She added that many farmers were now indebted to Monsanto, because they owe to get seeds and this has trapped farmers in dependency and debt, and some farmers out of frustration of huge debts have committed suicide.

She said: “The pressure on Africa to adopt uniform seed laws such as those promoted under African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) is all aimed at seed colonization of Africa and must be resisted.