The Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has advocated wider adoption of agroecological farming practices, urging the Federal Government to prioritise investments in sustainable agriculture and indigenous seed systems over genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
The call was made during a one-day farmers’ training on agroecology held on Thursday at the Be The Help Foundation Farm in Dama-Kusa Village, Kwali Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, where participants were trained on environmentally sustainable farming methods designed to improve productivity while reducing dependence on genetically modified seeds and synthetic agrochemicals.
Speaking with journalists after the training, HOMEF’s Director of Programmes, Joyce Brown, said Nigeria could strengthen food security by supporting climate-resilient farming practices that preserve local crop varieties and biodiversity.
She cautioned that increased cultivation of genetically modified crops could have long-term implications for indigenous seeds through cross-pollination, ultimately reducing the country’s agricultural diversity.
“One of the major implications that GMOs pose for Nigeria is the risk of losing our indigenous crop varieties. Through pollination and other mechanisms, genes can transfer from GMOs to our local crops, and in the long run we risk losing our own varieties. The loss of biodiversity is also a major implication,” Brown said.
Brown maintained that improving agricultural productivity should focus on expanding access to extension services, strengthening local seed systems and equipping farmers with climate-smart farming techniques rather than increasing reliance on genetically modified crops.
“We brought farmers here to see for themselves that there are alternatives to GMOs and synthetic pesticides. The agroecological system being practised here shows that we do not need GMOs to increase food productivity. What farmers need is greater support, better extension services and climate-resilient farming practices,” she said.
She also called for stricter oversight of genetically modified products and urged policymakers to develop agricultural policies that safeguard local farming systems and protect consumers.
Also speaking, Chief Executive Officer of the Be The Help Foundation, Samuel Robert Kwasari, said the organisation has spent years demonstrating that agroecology can boost food production while restoring degraded ecosystems and improving farmers’ livelihoods.
According to him, the foundation’s farming model integrates agroforestry, soil regeneration, nutrient recycling and water conservation to achieve sustainable agricultural production.
“Our practice is regenerative agriculture through agroecology, using agroforestry as our major model. We want to produce food sustainably without harming the environment or human health. What you eat is what you are, so food should be safe and free from synthetic chemicals,” Kwasari said.
He argued that ensuring farmers retain ownership of their seeds is essential to achieving food sovereignty and reducing dependence on external inputs.
“Food sufficiency means you have food to eat. Food sovereignty means you have food and choice. It means you control what you grow, how you grow it and what you eat. Agroecology helps us achieve that because farmers remain in control of their seeds and production systems,” he said.
Kwasari called on the government to implement policies that encourage indigenous food production and strengthen local farming communities before prioritising exports.
“Government needs policies that enable local and indigenous food growers to produce for domestic consumption first. Let people grow their food, eat it first, and export only the surplus,” he said.
He further warned that losing control over seeds could have far-reaching consequences for the country’s food system.
“Once you lose seed sovereignty, you lose food sovereignty because someone else begins to determine what you plant and how you farm,” Kwasari added.