National Daily

Bio-technology, solution to food crisis —Minister

By EKENE EZUGWU

AT a recent round-table Conference on the introduction of genetically modified crops in Nigeria, the Minister of Science and Technology Chief (Mrs) Grace Ekpiwhre was furious over the looming Food Crises in Sub-Saharan.
Mrs. Ekpiwhre, said a situation where food production has actually declined over the past decades calls for concern and collective efforts to arrest the trend. Between 1980 and 1985, yields of staple crops fell by an average of eight percent compared to an increase of 27 per cent in Asia and 12% in Latin America.

In Nigeria, the current agricultural growth is put at a meager 4.5 per cent which is far cry from the ever increasing food demands of our rising population. As a way of short-circulating the problem, Mrs. Ekpiwhre made a strong case for the utilization transgenic crop technology for increased agricultural productivity, better nutrition and improved crop resistance to pests drought.
In the words of the minister, the option of genetically modified crops, as is being developed by the National Biotechnology Development Agency, of the Ministry should be explored to the maximum.

Genetically engineered Crops have been scientifically altered to produce foods with a desired trait.
The term “genetically modified” refers to the alteration of genetic material. In essence, It is a process whereby the genes of one organism have been “cut out” and then pasted into another organism.
There has been much controversy over the desirability of GM Foods/organism with foreign advocacy groups like Green peace raising alarm on the health risks.

They argue that the food Industry should be more open and transparent in the creation and testing of GM Foods. The case is also made against GM food for the lack of scientific evidence on the effects of modified Food on human health.

Critics also point to the inadequacy of safety test technology to assess potential harm as well as the fact that they allegedly carry unpredictable toxins, thereby increasing the risk of allergenic reactions. On the contrary, GM advocates aver that GM plants are often created to resist disease and eliminate the need for pesticides. This super Crops is also said to produce a harder texture, higher nutritional value or faster growth. All said, given the large share of agriculture in our Gross Domestic Product, the importance of Biotechnology, as a national manipulation of biological objects cannot be over-emphasized.

If it is properly harnessed, biotechnology has the potential of increasing our food Production, enhancing the quality of food, guaranteeing cleaner environment and better and more target specific medicines, etc.
The National Biotechnology Development (NABDA) of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology is currently spearheading the gains of “Biotechnology” to all sectors of the Nigerian economy.

Using various genetic manipulation techniques, many Crops such as Cotton, Cowpea, Corn, Rubber, Palm tree, Cassava, Cocoa and Rice are being improved upon to produce higher yields and make them resistant to pests, diseases and environmental stresses. The agency has successfully developed bio-resource centers in some parts of the country, the most notable being the one at Odi, Bayelsa State.

The centers teach entrepreneurs to establish farms for small to medium scale commercial production of such items as fish, snail, cane rat (grass cutter) and mushroom. It is cheering to note that the product of the Farms can be developed to the volume required for export. Many of the items are viable export commodities with high demand in the regional and international markets.

By using tissue culture technique in collaboration with Raw Materials Research and Development Council and National Root Crops Research Institute, the National Biotechnology Development Agency is mass propagating elite varieties of cassava.
At present, tissue culture planting materials developed by the Agency for hundreds of economic and food crops including yam sweet potatoes, plantain, pineapple, passion fruit etc. are being sold to interested farmers.

In order to reap maximally from Biotechnology, a technology aptly described as the “technology of hope” for its vast potentials in the food, health and environmental sustainability, the federal government must facilitate demand-driven research projects that are relevant to given ecological zones as well as specific industries.

Even though the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology has trained over 400 Farmers in various Bioenterprises, there is need to embark on intensive training of more farmers all over the country for sustainable food security via Biotechnology.

In addition, with the present foray into Biotechnology by the Science and Tech Ministry, there is need to embark on intensive public awareness programme on the value of this latest technological fad. This is necessary so as to disabuse the minds of the farmers and other stakeholders of wrong information about GM Crops. This type of information strategy must do away with Top-down approach system to and adopt a mobilization strategy that would enable the farmers own the new pet technological project and view it as theirs and made for their benefits.

Ekene Ezugwu is of 28 Hargeysa street Wuse Abuja and is a member of Food and Environment for Development. Heroekesound@yahoo.com