GMO CONTROVERSY: THE POWERS BEHIND THE AGRICUTURE MINISTER Heavy controversies has trailed the decision by the Agriculture Minister, Dr Adesina Adewunmi decision to introduce biotechnology models into our agricultural system in line with “Mr President’s transformation agenda.” However, for the sake of those who have not been following the GMO controversy at both the international and local levels, I will do a brief summary. By way of definition, GMOs, or “genetically modified organisms,” are plants or animals created through the gene splicing techniques of biotechnology (also called genetic engineering, or GE). This experimental technology merges DNA from different species, creating unstable combinations of plant, animal, bacterial and viral genes that cannot occur in nature or in traditional crossbreeding. Following the admission of Nigeria by the G8 under the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition Initiative, in June 2013, a grant of $300m was made available to Nigeria. But there is a catch: to assess this grant, Nigeria must open its doors to the inflow of genetically modified foods and seeds. The sole aim of this alliance is to coerce African countries to change policies that will hinder the operation of companies like Monsanto in exchange for aid money. As part of the conditions, Nigeria must meet requirements dictated by these powerful multinational corporations. We will also be required to relinquish large tracts of land to be given to these big corporations. These lands will of course be taken from local farmers. Finally and most importantly, our seed laws must be revised to ensure local farmers only buy seeds from these international corporations. One these corporations, Monsanto has made great in road into Nigeria with the full support of the Federal Minister of Agriculture. In a nutshell, we have surrendered our food sovereignty to Monsanto. Keep this in mind as we tie all this together! Before subjecting Monsanto and their allies to further public scrutiny, it is pertinent we look at the Minister’s career background as that would help fellow Nigerians understand why this matter seems like a “do or die” affair for him. It is obvious that certain goals were set for him on assumption of office and it seems he must play on the supposed ignorance of Nigerians to achieve those goals. Else, how does one explain the Minister’s turning of deaf ears to the oppositions from eminent Nigerians, scholars, various civil society groups and individuals against the implementation of the program without first enlightening Nigerians on, not only the benefits but also the very many downsides of the program? And who are the ‘powers’ that set these goals for our Minister? A look at his enviable profile as published online showed that “he obtained his PhD degree in Agricultural Economics in 1988 from Purdue University, USA, where he won the Outstanding PhD Thesis for his research work. Until his appointment as the Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in 2011, he was the Vice President, Policy and Partnerships, Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), an organization established with support from the Rockefeller Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation with the goal of bringing a green revolution to Africa, and lifting millions of poor farmers out of poverty and food insecurity. He was Associate Director (Food Security) at the Rockefeller Foundation where he worked for a decade (1998-2008) in senior leadership positions, including as Regional Office Director and Representative for Southern Africa. He won the Rockefeller Foundation Social Science Research Fellowship in 1988, which initiated his career in international agricultural development. He has worked in senior research positions in international agricultural research centres of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research. He joined the Rockefeller Foundation, New York, as a senior scientist for Africa in 1998 and later served as Rockefeller Foundation representative for Southern Africa, based in Harare, Zimbabwe (1999-2003). In 2007 he was awarded the prestigious YARA Prize in Oslo, Norway for his leadership in pioneering innovative approaches for improving access of farmers in Africa to agricultural inputs. Dr. Adesina has held senior leadership positions in some of the foremost agricultural institutions in the world.” At AGRA, Dr. Adesina’s responsibility included but not limited to “overseeing AGRA’s effort to influence agricultural policies in African governments and for building strategic partnerships with African governments, donors, private sector and the civil society organizations.” This man is not a political jobber so why is he pushing a program that has been rejected in several countries? Now, let’s take a look at the link between some of these agencies highlighted above and the “great transformations” in the agriculture sector using biotechnology platforms. The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) According to information available at the website of the organization which parades an array of internationally eminent intellectuals including Kofi Annan and others representing the major Funders on their Board, “The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) is an African-based and African-led organization working with our partners to catalyze change that rapidly and sustainably increases the productivity and incomes of small holder farmers and achieves food security for Africa. AGRA drives innovation, funds demonstration, and works with our partners and Africa’s farmers to scale-up successes in smallholder farming, with a strong focus on staple crops in high-potential breadbasket areas. Our goal is to catalyze a uniquely African Green Revolution.” Though AGRA describes itself as African-led, however, the board of directors - led by an African, Kofi Annan - consists of five Africans and five non-Africans. The organizations funders, which hold significant power over the activities of AGRA, are American foundations. AGRAs stated goals (for 2020) are • doubling the income of 20 million small farmers • reducing food insecurity 50% in 20 countries • ensuring that at least 15 countries are on a path toward sustainable and climate-friendly green agriculture Good vision, Great vision. But there is a challenge here and that is part of what is generating the controversies currently on going with certain decisions of our Agriculture Minister. How do they go about achieving this laudable vision? Through various corporations like Monsanto, Cargill where they have vested interest as we shall see shortly. The initial Green Revolution project, launched in the 60s was aimed at combating hunger by increasing grain yields through the use of new agricultural technologies. The program was first funded by the Rockefeller and Ford Foundations and subsequently by publicly funded institutions and governments. The Green Revolution promoted the use of high yielding seed varieties that could be densely planted and responded well to irrigation, mechanization and the heavy application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The underlying objective of the Green Revolution was to increase productivity in countries that suffered from rural poverty and hunger. However, rather than addressing some of the key underlying issues of hunger including the lack of access to and ownership of fertile land, the Green Revolution favoured technological intensification. The original Green Revolution did in fact target Africa, but the extraordinary complexity of African farming systems and social relations doomed its “one-size-fits-all” model to failure. Nevertheless, in 1999, the Rockefeller Foundation launched its New Green Revolution for Africa initiative and was joined seven years later by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to form the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). It was in this same organization that our dear Minister worked as Vice President until his appointment. And with the financial muscle of the founders, and the sad story of corruption in Nigeria, every resource will be made available to our dear Minister to ‘convince’ decision makers to buy into this ‘laudable’ program without making public the numerous downsides of the program and the negative multiplier effect it will have on Nigeria and Nigerians in the long term. By that time, our dear Minister would have completed his assignment and probably moved back to a higher position at AGRA , having signed off the necessary documents needed to create a favourable platform for this program to thrive. Nigerians have a right to know what they are going into before the program is implemented, but unfortunately some States are already receiving “free hybrid seeds” as our Minister calls it. According to documents from a recent conference organized by Voices From Africa, “AGRA was planned without African voices, and imposes quick-fix technological solutions on complex and historically deep social issues. Specifically, AGRA will impose a regime in which farmers lose power over their own seeds and are forced to buy them back from large corporations like Monsanto, year after year. This system may also contribute to the marginalization of women. They argued further that, “The Foundations plan for Africa involves the production of cash crops which can be sold on the global market. This may leave countries unable to produce food for themselves, and dependent on fluctuations in the global market. Some worry that AGRA will push genetic use restriction technology on African farmers, again leaving them dependent on outside companies, like Monsanto for new seeds. Some critics have argued that AGRA misrepresents Africa by cherry-picking spokespeople to support only their viewpoint on genetically-modified crops. Other pertinent issues include the fact the use of some technologies promoted by AGRA may create dependence on herbicides, which raises the possibility of super-weeds. Monsanto, a Multi-National chemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation which is currently working hard to establish its tentacles in Nigeria has strong links with AGRA. It is important to note that Monsanto is not only engaged in developing genetically modified Organisms (GMOs), they are also deeply entrenched in the pharmaceutical industry. In April 2000, Pharmacia Corporation was created through the merger of Pharmacia and Upjohn with Monsanto Company and its G.D. Searle unit! The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundations maintain heavy investments in Monsanto and Cargill. We must not be blinded by aids and donations, it is time our leaders demand these foundations to come clean on its visions for agriculture in developing countries. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is currently facing heavy criticism in Africa and the United States for getting into bed not just with notorious company Monsanto, but also with agribusiness commodity giant Cargill. All these corporations have their tentacles in AGRA. Lending his voice to the GMO controversy, James N. Kariuki, a Professor of International Relations, in his report says, “Monsanto is the worlds biggest food-engineering and genetically modified seed company. In addition to being the leader of the contemporary agri-businesses, it also has the dubious distinction of owning the most repulsive history, a long and checkered past. Monsantos history is one steeped with controversial products, deadly consequences; massive cover-ups political sleight of hand, and culminates as a modern day plague on humanity, a plague that is about to peak to biblical proportions.” The American author of this statement goes on to chronicle Monsantos history of anti-social activities which include contribution to the initial building of the atomic bomb. But that is another story. More recently, Monsanto has been involved in manufacturing other hazardous chemicals including DDT, the pesticide that was banned in the US in 1972. Subsequently, the same Monsanto got into the act of manufacturing Agent Orange, a toxic defoliant herbicide used in the Vietnam War to kill jungle growth and destroy growing crops, including food. Contact with the defoliant substance contaminated Vietnamese people and US troops indiscriminately, earning itself the nickname, the “Merchant of Death.” A question for our Minister: Are Nigerians entitled to Monsantos records of background checks? Better still, perhaps he should hear the words of Monsantos fellow American who is convinced that there is no room for negotiations, the company must be destroyed! ‘Living in a Monsanto nation, there can be no such a thing as co-existence. It is impossible to co-exist with a reckless industry that endangers public health, bribes public officials, corrupts scientists, manipulates the media, destroys biodiversity, kills the soil, pollutes the environment, tortures and poisons animals, destabilizes the climate, and economically enslaves the worlds 1.5 billion seed-saving small farmers. Its time to take down the Biotech Behemoth, before the living web of biodiversity is terminated.’..... Ronnie Commins. Other than having a profound aversion to GMOs and their peddlers, Commins is a mainstream American citizen, a devout political activist, who believes firmly that America is capable of self-reform. If the words above reflect a case of genuine American self-criticism, they are an important warning that Africans pay attention to them. And it is incumbent upon African leaders to take them twice as seriously. We ignore them at our own peril.” This is the same company that our dear Agriculture Minister is trying to push down our throats in Nigeria. The Company, Monsanto has a history of blatant disregard for the interests and well being of small farmers around the world, and their alliance with the Gates foundation casts serious doubt on the foundations heavy funding of agricultural development in Africa. African leaders go cap in hand begging for aids, and some of them have in the process sold their birthrights over problems that could be solved locally and from within. The African centre for Biosafety just uncovered another alliance between the Gates foundation and Cargill in a $10m project to “develop the Soya value chain” in Mozambique and elsewhere. Do not be intimidated by the “corporate-speak”, it just announces the big time introduction of GM soya in southern Africa and eventually other African countries! Another challenge here, which our dear Minister and his allies are not telling Nigerians is that research from some organizations like Voices from Africa, shows that “Farming methods that depend heavily on agro-chemicals erode the soil’s natural fertility over time. As fertility decreases and pests build tolerance, farmers have to apply more and more fertilizer and pesticides to achieve the same results, a trend known as the “pesticide treadmill”. We need to stand against this because we are the ones that would suffer the health consequences as well as the death of our (very fertile) soil. This New wave of colonialism is designed to secure profits and royalty flows out of Africa and the dependency on foreign corporations to plant food.
Posted on: Sun, 13 Jul 2014 22:27:18 +0000