A prominent Nigerian environmental activist has challenged the narrative that genetically modified organisms feed the world, arguing instead that corporate seed systems undermine African food sovereignty and farmer autonomy.
Nnimmo Bassey, director of Health of Mother Earth Foundation and former chair of Friends of the Earth International, made the case during the eighth episode of “The Battle for African Agriculture,” a podcast hosted by Dr. Million Belay, General Coordinator of the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa.
Bassey, who received the 2010 Right Livelihood Award and the 2012 Rafto Human Rights Award, brings decades of environmental justice work to his critique of industrial agriculture. The Nigerian architect and poet traced how colonial era plantation monocultures reshaped African food systems, a pattern he says continues through modern cash cropping and land acquisition deals.
The conversation centered on what Bassey described as artificial, chemical dependent agricultural systems that often pair genetically engineered seeds with herbicides produced by the same companies. He specifically mentioned Nigeria’s approval of genetically modified cowpea, raising concerns about introducing engineered varieties into a crop’s center of origin.
Bassey outlined how corporate power, international trade rules, and crisis food aid push foreign seeds into communities, sometimes without adequate transparency or community consent. He contrasted current biosafety and seed laws with earlier African Union model safeguards, suggesting regulatory frameworks have weakened over time.
The activist highlighted what he sees as political dimensions to these shifts, pointing to recognition given to powerful funders as policies evolve to ease biotechnology entry into African markets. This dynamic, he argued, reflects broader patterns where external interests shape domestic agricultural policy.
Against this backdrop, Bassey emphasized farmer managed seed systems as a form of resistance. He described seed sharing practices, community seed fairs, and hands on agroecological training that rebuilds soil health, crop diversity, and farmer decision making power.
The Sahel region’s regreening efforts came up as a practical example. Bassey referenced restoration techniques like the zai pit method, popularized by Burkinabe farmer Yacouba Sawadogo, as evidence that farmer led innovation can reverse land degradation without expensive external inputs.
Agroecology, in Bassey’s framing, operates simultaneously as a scientific approach, a social movement, and a political position. He presented it as a viable alternative to patent driven, chemical intensive agriculture, though scaling these practices faces significant institutional and financial barriers.
Looking forward, Bassey called for decolonizing agricultural policy by centering women food producers, who do much of Africa’s farming but often lack decision making power. He urged creating pathways for youth to enter farming as a dignified profession, supported by genuine rural infrastructure rather than token initiatives.
Bassey served as chair of Friends of the Earth International from 2008 to 2012 and was executive director of Nigeria’s Environmental Rights Action before founding his current organization. His environmental advocacy earned him Nigeria’s national honor as Member of the Federal Republic in 2014.
The podcast episode also addressed extension services, which Bassey noted have become stretched thin in some areas, with ratios reaching one agricultural officer to 10,000 farmers. This resource gap, he suggested, undermines government capacity to support farmers adopting sustainable practices.
Beyond policy and infrastructure, Bassey emphasized cultural revival as essential to food sovereignty. He spoke about recovering food memories, preserving traditional tastes and recipes, and maintaining the right to grow crops suited to local ecologies and community needs.
The Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa launched “The Battle for African Agriculture” podcast in August 2025, examining colonial legacies in food systems and amplifying agroecological solutions. The series challenges corporate driven narratives around industrial agriculture while documenting alternatives rooted in biodiversity and community control.
Episode 8 is available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and RSS feeds. Previous episodes have featured conversations with legal scholars, agroecology practitioners, and academics examining seed laws, trade agreements, and farming practices across the continent.
The podcast addresses tensions between different visions for Africa’s agricultural future: industrial models emphasizing high yield varieties and synthetic inputs versus agroecological approaches prioritizing diversity, local knowledge, and ecological balance. These debates have practical implications for millions of smallholder farmers navigating changing seed regulations, land tenure systems, and market pressures.
Bassey’s perspective adds to growing discussions about who controls Africa’s food systems and whose interests current policies serve. Whether his vision of farmer centered, agroecological agriculture can compete with well funded industrial models remains a central question as African countries chart their agricultural futures.
