Food security: Lessons from Nigeria

Dr Sheila Ochugboju has worked in science and international development research for more than 15 years. The medical and plant biochemist is the current executive director of Alliance for Science.

The organisation seeks to enhance food security, environmental sustainability and the quality of life globally by promoting access to scientific innovation.

Nigeria, where Dr Ochugboju comes from, was among the first African countries to commercialise genetically modified (GMO) food crops, when it allowed cultivation of biotech cowpeas to deal with malnutrition.

She tells Healthy Nation what her country did right, the importance of public participation in food decisions and why Kenyans are doing better in the discourse than they care to admit.

What do you think is the weak link in Kenya’s GMO debate?
Misinformation, mixed messaging and lack of public participation on the issue of GM foods. Some quarters in government are saying one thing and others the other. There are also political interests, which is causing confusion. It is unfortunate that the directive to remove the ban did not involve Kenyans. This is the same mistake Europe did in the 1990s when the first GM tomatoes came into the market. You need to take the public along in any big decision that is of interest to them, such as food. This prevents backlash. It is also good practice.

Is it possible to deal decisively with misinformation on GMOs? 
In most countries, there is no mandated body to educate the public on science and scientific findings. Only South Africa has a national agency for science communication (SAASTA) that educates the public on all technologies being brought into the country. Scientists could spend a part of their research grants on public awareness.

What do you think the emphasis of communication on the GMO ban removal should be?
Kenyans and Africans simply want to know: are GMOs safe? Can we eat them? Should we plant them? Will farmers get seeds for propagation? The debate should answer these questions for public interest.

Did Nigeria do anything differently from Kenya when it commercialised GM cowpeas?
Weevils have been a menace in grain farming in Nigeria for long. The knowledge that farmers can now buy beans free of weevils, for instance, because of biotech is a big relief. Our farmers understood that variety brings a wide range of choices. Today, Nigerians are sold out on GM foods and the uptake for biotech cowpeas is great. The only challenge for farmers right now is where to get the improved seed varieties.

What lessons can Kenya pick lessons from your experiences?
The quandary Kenya finds itself in is very normal. This is the normal trajectory of a public debate. The GMO debate in Nigeria, where the population is bigger, was noisier. We did not have the kind of intellectual debate Kenyans are having at the moment. It takes years to set up a biosafety agency, for instance, to even have this kind of conversation. Commercialisation of GM crops takes even longer. Kenya has gone through the motions faster than some countries ever did. So far, everything is in place.

Are GMO foods essentially harmful?
We have had more than 25 years of genetically modified food crops that have been eaten all over the world. GMO foods have been proven to be actually safer than most organic crops. Besides, these varieties have been regulated and tested for nearly 30 years.

Why then does most of Europe not consume GMOs?
When you can grow six times more food than you need like in Denmark, you can choose to go fully organic. You have preferential choices as a consumer market because you can afford to pay a premium for certain varieties. In Europe food waste is a bigger issue than food security. They have evolved to that level. They are trying to give their population more choices such as rounder, smoother, nicer tomatoes than we are doing. We get it wrong when we base our food decisions on a market that is well fed. 

Is it true that Kenyans have been consuming GMOs unknowingly?
For decades, yes. Mostly in various food ingredients that they have been consuming. These foods have been completely safe. It is erroneous to imagine that the ban removal will open the floodgates of harmful GM foods in Kenya. This has mostly been a perception issue and the implication of large-scale importation.

Is there a specific case for biotech application in Kenya’s agriculture?
Kenya has the land. What Kenyans must do is to learn to farm more efficiently by using less inputs on less land to get more yields. This is where biotechnology comes in. Biotech helps to increase tolerance for drought and crop diseases for higher yields within a short time. There is also an opportunity to intensify farming that does not damage the environment with pesticides.

This technology does not come cheap, does it?
The question of affordability is there. Before, this was largely because of limited access. Sometimes farmers have been unsure where to get the best seeds. The technology to develop these seeds was also expensive, which made the seeds expensive. Gene-editing technology that is in mass use now is cheaper. Regular and gene-edited ones sell at virtually the same price today.

Something must be holding Africa back in its quest for food security…
Our governments must put their money where their mouths are by investing in the right places. Twenty years ago, the average American fed between eight and 20 people. Today, the same farmer is feeding about 1,000 people while we feed about three. This is because they have invested in research and technology in agriculture to feed their population. It sounds great when we say agriculture is the backbone of our economies. But when you picture the average Kenyan farmer, there is nothing aspirational about them. We lack proper governance structures to truly make farming a pillar of our economies. This must be addressed.

But some say there is no money for research…
It is a question of imagination and political will to make the necessary investments that will enable us to feed ourselves and produce medicines for our people. Farmers in Kenya are already staring at reduced outputs, for instance, because of disruption in imports like fertiliser. Why are there only 15 fertiliser plants on the continent? What is stopping us from having these plants in Africa? This continent produces phosphates and urea that manufacture fertiliser. All 54 African countries may not become self-sustaining in the short-term, but we can meet our needs with proper organisation.

Kenya must be getting some aspects right, isn’t it?
You have an extraordinarily hardworking culture, vibrant youth and visionary people with dogged determination. This is the kind of spirit this continent needs. Kenya needs to teach its population how to solve, verify and apply different scientific tools. There are amazing institutions here that could produce basic agricultural technologies, entrepreneurs and supply chain management graduates. These will become the next generation of leaders in our food industry. We do not need just titles coming out of our universities.

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