Genetic Engineering as Threat to Nigeria’s Food Security By Nnimmo Bassey

I notice that Wall street journal reference of Monsanto profit is not available, in public interest, I have fished out the same info:

"The company raised its earnings guidance for the year, briefly lifting its shares to its highest level in more than four years. The company's sales grew 21 per cent to $2.9 billion in the quarter,...For all of fiscal 2013, the company expects profit of $4.30 to $4.40 per share"

http://www.canada.com/business/Monsanto+firstquarter+profit+nearly+tripl...

'The company’s first fiscal period is usually not very profitable, as farming operations slow during the fall months in the U.S. and Europe. But increased sales in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and other Latin American countries helped drive earnings from September through November.'

http://www.boston.com/business/news/2013/01/08/monsanto-profit-balloons-...

There is a possible link of GM crops with cancer.Nigerians are known to be betrayers,Nija,don't let this greedy bastards destroy your lives.

This is not allowed in civilised countries i.e Britain,Russia etc, that provides free healthcare ,how much more,Nigeria that doesn't have a healthcare not to talk of free.You with only end up in miracle centres at churches,so be warned.

Genetically engineered (GE) crops are not as successful as it appears on the surface: 'A report released by Britain's Soil Association through a massive compilation of data showed GE crops have cost American taxpayers $12 billion in farm subsidies in the past three years. "Within a few years of the introduction of GM crops, almost the entire $300 million annual US maize exports to the EU had disappeared, and the US share of the soya market had decreased,'

"The problem with letting any private company fund and develop agriculture is that their primary concern will be with their own bottom line, rather than food security. Simply put, their objective is not the fight against hunger, it's to make money."

In concluding, I have nothing against biotechnology, it is crucial area that any country that is worth its salt should pursue actively. What I am against is the attempt to mortgage the lives and livelihood of Nigerians yet unborn to callous profit seekers with no interest of Nigeria at heart.

Nigeria should therefore thread very very carefully.

Our farmers, for many centuries, quietly carried out their own 'genetic engineering'. Once a foreign commercial entity takes over our food/seed production, we are at their mercy for generations. Until our own home grown unit can face the challenges, Agricultural policy makers should not be bamboozled! We have suffered enough of colonizations this century.

Mr. Bassey, we the people appreciate your real contribution to humanity and Nigerians in particular. Thank you and keep up the good work.

Is Monsanto operating in Nigeria?

I bet you, it is!!!!
They not only operate in Burkina Faso and Kenya but are in Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Egypt, S. Africa and Nigeria!
http://www.monsantoafrica.com/biotechnology/in_africa.asp

Are our government abreast of the implication of disenfranchising the livelihood of the farmers and handing the National food security to corporations whose only motive is profit and more profits?
Monsanto's Profit, Sales Jumps - Jan. 8 2013, Wall Street Journal - http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142412788732348250457822940026225237...

Have they heard of Agent Orange, bovine growth hormone: part past history of Monsanto? Website:"Monsanto is a relatively new company. While we share the name and history of a company that was founded in 1901, the Monsanto of today is focused on agriculture and supporting farmers around the world in their mission to produce... We’re an agricultural company."

Ask India!

"Now, imagine that after years of global poisoning of the water supplies for over the past century with the full gamut of Monsanto's chemicals, including PCBs, dioxin and glyophosate (Roundup), the company, seeing a profitable market niche, is taking control of the public water resources they polluted, filtering it, and selling it back to the people?!!!! In short, Monsanto is said to be making a double profit by polluting the world's scarce freshwater resources, privately taking ownership of that water, filtering it, and selling it back to those who can afford to pay for it."

http://rense.com/general20/re.htm
http://www.purewatergazette.net/privatizationofwater.htm

This is ahappening not only in US but also India!
http://www.globalresearch.ca/killer-seeds-the-devastating-impacts-of-mon...

Monsanto's routine discharge of toxic waste into a west Anniston creek clearly reminds me of a drama series:
"DAMAGES" Episode 13, season 3: "I Knew Your Pig"
In the story, Patty (a ruthless lawyer) begins to suspect a decade-old secret. "Ultima National", a huge Coal Corporation was dumping stuff and the polluted water was killing the animals and decimating the lives of the farmers but were afraid to talk.

Purcell contracts someone to investigate the water contamination in West Virginia by the company "Ultima National".

The episode highlights the extent Corporations can go in decimating the livelihood of farmers in their heartless pursuit of profit.

Monsanto's products also affect fishes and animals;

"They also know that for nearly 40 years, while producing the now-banned industrial coolants known as PCBs at a local factory, Monsanto
Co. routinely discharged toxic waste into a west Anniston creek and dumped millions of pounds of PCBs into oozing open-pit landfills. And thousands of pages of Monsanto documents -- many emblazoned with warnings such as "CONFIDENTIAL: Read and Destroy" -- show that for decades, the corporate giant concealed what it did and what it knew."

In 1966, Monsanto managers discovered that fish submerged in that creek turned belly-up within 10 seconds, spurting blood and shedding skin as if dunked into boiling water." http://lists.iatp.org/listarchive/archive.cfm?id=42883 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46648-2001Dec31.html

Health Implications:

Eminent oncologists Dr. Lennart Hardell and Dr. Mikael Eriksson of Sweden has revealed clear links between one of the world's biggest selling herbicide, glyphosate, to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a form of cancer.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/monsanto/glyphocancer.cfm

"Reduced growth, impaired defences, impaired uptake and translocation of nutrients, and altered physiology of plants by glyphosate can affect susceptibility or tolerance to various diseases. Glyphosate chelation of nutrients in the plant and soil can render those nutrients immobile and unavailable for plant use or uptake, while toxicity to essential synergistic and beneficial soil organisms further reduces availability of nutrients that are critical for a plant’s physiological defences to disease."

http://www.organicconsumers.org/documents/huber-glyphosates-2009.pdf

Monsanto tactic is legendary and represented below:

http://nelsonfarm.net/zielinskiletter.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0AL4yml3bw

Monsanto harasses small farmers:

a) "Schmeiser has been growing canola..for 40 years...experimenting, developing his own varieties, using his own seed and prospering with canola. So when Monsanto, the giant multinational agro-chemical company that is at the forefront of developing genetically modified foods, accused him of patent infringement and demanded restitution for its seeds, he chose to fight rather than roll over and take it."

About half the canola planted in Saskatchewan this year comes from it Monsanto, but keeps the rights to the DNA itself.

http://www.percyschmeiser.com/conflict.htm

b) Nelson family of Amenia, ND: Fraase their lawyer said Monsanto's tough strategy: 'the Nelsons feel Monsanto has singled them out as an example so farmers here will fear Monsanto. http://nelsonfarm.net/glovesoff.htm

Mexican Corn:

Mexico has banned GE corn, but because of NAFTA agreement, they STILL import some:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSI29iv2roE

Colombia:

There is allegation that they are poisoning third world countries and their products have a link to cancer.
Monsanto has also been implicated in the indiscriminate sale and use of RoundUp Ultra in the anti-drug fumigation efforts of Plan Colombia. RoundUp Ultra is a highly concentrated version of Monsanto's glyphosate herbicide, with additional surfactants to increases its lethality. Local communities and human rights organizations charge that Ultra is destroying food crops, water sources and protected areas in the Andes, primarily Colombia.

Paradoxically, the use of RoundUp Ultra has actually increased coca cultivation in the Andes. As local farming communities are increasingly impacted by RoundUp Ultra fumigations, many turn to the drug trade as a means of economic survival.

Food, Crop and Financial implications:

Individual products in other countries:

Canada: The company sells the seed - about half the canola planted in Saskatchewan this year comes from it - but Monsanto keeps the rights to the DNA itself. You cannot replant and have to buy new seeds every year! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0AL4yml3bw

India's Cotton production:
Official report of the Govt. of the State of Andhra Pradesh, India, on the performance of genetically modified Bt cotton in the season 2002, "shows that in North Telengana, net income from Bt varieties was five times less than the yield from local non-Bt varieties. In addition, Monsanto cotton have a smaller boll size, shorter fibre length, poorer cotton quality leading to low market demand and with the lower yield, it lead to an overall loss of income for farmers who have cultivated the Monsanto cotton.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/bt_cotton.cfm

TRANSGENIC COLONIZATION of africa? (3)

When you look at the international scene, one name keeps cropping up - Monsanto! They have been involved for decades with genetic crop modification, Chemical production (Dioxin and Vietnam) with dire consequences for the communities that are involved:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vj-G6VhUynY

When Phil Angell, Monsanto Director of communications says “Monsanto should not have to vouchsafe the safety of biotech food," "Our interest is in selling as much of it as possible. Assuring its safety is the FDA's job.”,

Nigerian Government and agencies should take note. Monsanto has become so powerful that a number of people with Monsanto Jobs play active role in the Government of USA. There is nothing wrong with that, but when your role in a private company conflicts with public interest, then it is unethical and unacceptable.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/monsanto/

Solomon said: "My major concern is that we should not be over regulated."
My concern is that with African leaders focusing on EMBEZZLEMENT, Africans are snoozing, whilst on the threshold of a 3rd and mortal colonization of our food supply.

Who is NABDA? FEC approved the National Biotechnology Policy on 23rd April 2001, leading to the establishment of NABDA in Nov. 2001. The Agency was established to implement the policy aimed at promoting, coordinating, and setting research and development priority in biotechnology for Nigeria. They are aligned with several foreign institutions.

Once giant International agrocompanies step in, and finance the projects, mass starvation in Ethiopia of yesteryears will be child's play. Prof. Solomon has an enviable CV. Will he use his expertise in advancing the course of the small scale farmer or will he join our political elites in decimating our society and way of life?

Thank you Mr. Nnimmo Bassey, for your timely rebuttal on Prof. Solomon's article on the very explosive and sensitive issue of food production inadequacy and the unspoken aspect of subterranean intrigues of big corporation and their fixation on profit to the detriment and DISREGARD of the safety of the society at large. I do not know how it escaped my attention!

You said "Genetically engineered crops are being resisted and rejected in many countries in Africa and it is not correct to paint a picture of major strides being made in East Africa."

Rightly so, in fact, it is not just in Africa but other continents as well. For years I have closely followed the close alignment/cooperation of Governments, Agricultural conglomerates and their plans to corner and dominate a crucial life giving aspects of water and food production.

most of the people pushing for the signing of the biosafety bill into law are definitely fronting for some big multinational companies who are the sister organization of Mosanto et al. Just like Nnimmo Bassey pionted out, after selling us the GM seeds, we will still need to but the herbicides and pesticides from them, and it is the sellers' market thus enslaving us, there is no way we can get the technology to be self sufficient providing our GM seeds. Have you ever thought of why we still keep relying on the for anti-malaria drug when they easily develop a once and for all vaccine just like for Polio? Malaria is endemic in sub-sahara Africa, and the population of areas is enough market for the Western Drug companies. We need a home grown solution to our agricultural problems in this era of ZERO TILLAGE.

Nnimmo, you raised very important issues concerning the conducts of NABDA headed by Prof. bamidele Solomon. It is unfortunate that the people that should be protecting our genetic resources are those pushing for GM crops on our farms. It should be noted that as of today, the EU has not ratified the use of GM crops in Europe. Israel that plants GM crops only export such to USA and not Europe. It important to note that those championing GM crops in Nigeria have some pecuniary gain therein. There are so many things we need to put in place prior to introduction of GM crops into the country, otherwise, we are risking the future of the country. Nigeria is blessed with so many genetic diversity, domesticated and in the wild, which will come in handy in case of eventualties in the world. A word is enough for the wise.

Mr. Bassey,
Thank you for a very thorough and well articulated response to the NABDA Director General. I'm afraid that there is currently a very limited awareness of the issues surrounding genetic engineering by we Nigerians and your article provides a much needed jumping off point for a national dialogue.
While it is easy for the corporate interests to promote the purported benefits of their GM products, where their arguments, marketing strategies and dirty tricks will ultimately fail will be on the issues of food sovereignty and food security (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4153635.stm, http://www.panna.org/blog/was-it-bribe-monsanto). In spite of all the economic activity going on in places like Lagos and other large cities, the economic engine that actually keeps Nigeria afloat and keeps the country from starving to death is the small farmer. (contd. below)

In Lagos, folks queue @ Shoprite to fight over GMO wheat bread. Monsanto's Roundup pesticide is sold along with their genetically engineered seeds. In Asia, farmers committed suicide as Monsanto's cotton seed variety didn't meet traditional yields & farms got poisoned by its Roundup weed killer making it impossible to grow native seedlings. Rats fed GMO products developed huge cancer tumors after a while. Watch this; http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Njd0RugGjAg or read this http://thewestandothers.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-gmo-debate-is-over.html; http://thewestandothers.blogspot.com/2011/06/of-bill-gates-kofi-annan-co... http://thewestandothers.blogspot.com/2012/03/bill-gates-monsanto-and-eug...

Monsanto's staff are forbidden to eat GMO food; http://thewestandothers.blogspot.com/2012/10/look-whos-not-eating-gmo-fo... Solomon is nothing but an evil corporate agent masquerading as an intellectual. He should know better, if he wasn't.