In order to further convince the entire nation that genetically modified foods are safe for consumption and are as good as other conventional products, Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology in Africa (OFAB), Nigeria Chapter, the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) in collaboration with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) launched an ‘Eating is Believing (EIB)’ Campaign in Lagos, South West Nigeria. The campaign was aimed at influencing consumers’ perception and enlightening the public on the safety and wholesomeness of the food products of PBR Cowpea or the genetically modified beans.
The Counsellor for Agricultural Affairs, U.S. Consulate (Nigeria, Benin and Cameroun), Mr. Gerald Smith while speaking at the event said that cowpea/bean is incredibly nutrient-dense and rich in vitamin A and C – including other micronutrients There is abundant scientific evidence that there is no nutritional difference between Bt. and conventional beans.
According to him, the common misconceptions about biotech crops that the modification process changes the food’s traits more than anything else baseless. With the campaign which affords the stakeholders opportunity to eat the beans publicly, the Diplomat confirmed that the new beans taste the same as the conventional beans and ‘might even be better.’
Before the participants drawn from among the nutritionists, professional food caterers, food scientists, plant breeders, farmers, media and industrialists, Mr Smith said the consumption of this new and tasty variety of beans demonstrates the food safety and nutrition effects of the PBR cowpea.
Country Coordinator, OFAB, Nigeria Chapter, Dr Rose Gidado, maintained that it will not only assure consumers of the safety of the PBR cowpea but will facilitate market and consumer acceptance and increase stakeholder awareness, especially the smallholder farmers. “When this is done, Nigeria will record a number of champions promoting the planting of Bt. cowpea across Nigeria.”, according to her.
Dr Gidado also revealed that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Lagos plans to incorporate the campaign into a prospective USDA’s McGovern-Dole school feeding program across Nigeria’s Southwest States.
Going further, the President, All-Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Arc Kabir Ibrahim called on all the farmers to adopt farming the biotech Beans. The farmer who had planted and eaten PBR beans described the new product as a game changer. His words: ‘When I planted, I observed that unlike the local cowpea varieties, this particular cowpea variety was not in any way infested by Maruca vitrata insect, the insect that destroys beans on the farm, in addition to the fact that I had no need to spray my farm with chemical spray that causes environmental pollution, the yield is fantastic.’
Cowpea breeder from the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Dr Mohammed Lawal Umar, who highlighted the nutritional benefits and the research process undertaken to achieve the production of PBR Cowpea, Maruca vitrata has always been a threat to beans farmers before now and the adoption of the PBR Cowpea will not only rescue our poor farmers from poverty but also will enrich Nigeria as the PBR Cowpea will now be accepted worldwide for exportation.
The event which had about 40 adults including food vendors who ate and cherished the
various delicacies made from GM beans such as Moimoi”, “Akara”, “Gbegiri soup” and “Ewagonyin.