Biotechnology Society Warns Against GM Technology Detractors

The Biotechnology Society of Nigeria (BSN) has issued a warning against the activities of individuals and groups allegedly paid to detract Genetic Modification (GM) technology in Nigeria. The society emphasises the importance of GM technology for the country’s agricultural and economic development and urges the public to critically evaluate information from such detractors.

This was said by Prof Sylvia Uzochukwu, President of BSN, during an interview in Abuja on Monday.

The heroes of GM technology in Africa, in her opinion, are South Africa and Nigeria.

“Detractors should not be allowed to derail the progress made in the last 20 years in GM adoption in Nigeria to ensure food security,’’ she said.

According to some, Uzochukwu denied that biotechnology companies were using terminator genes, also known as Genetic Use Restriction Technology (GURT), to cause sterile or “suicide seeds” in plants.

She clarified that GURT was designed to protect the environment by preventing transgenes from escaping, which experts define as genes that are extracted from the genome of one organism and artificially introduced into the genome of another organism.

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“In 2000, however, the UN Convention on Biological Diversity recommended a moratorium on field-testing and commercial sale of terminator seeds.

“The moratorium was re-affirmed, and the language strengthened in March 2006, at the Eight Conference of the Parties (COP8) meeting of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.

“That moratorium is in force till date. No one is using terminator technology anywhere in the world today,’’ Uzochukwu said.

NAN