ERA/FoEN Mourns Mama Cassava

The Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has described the death of Madam Juliana Odey popularly known as Mama Cassava on Tuesday, the 10th of December 2013 as a tragic loss to the human rights community and the nation at large.

Madam Odey was an agriculturist, environmentalist and ardent campaigner against the adoption of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) through the backdoor in Nigeria. She also advocated the rights of farmers to determine what to cultivate and how without the meddling of big agribusiness only interested in profits.

 ERA/FoEN Executive Director, Godwin Ojo said: “Mama Cassava will be greatly missed. As we commiserate with her family we extol her doggedness and outspokenness at various fora where she advocated the rights of farmers. What she lived and died for will never be forgotten”.

“Mama Cassava was a key voice against attempts to introduce GMOs into Nigeria through cronies of the biotech industry masquerading as interested in fighting hunger in Nigeria and on the African continent. Sadly all these initiatives were being proposed without input of farmers. Through her work, her brilliant mind and her relentless energy she made it loud and clear that Nigeria and indeed the whole of Africa does not need GMOs.

Mama Cassava was one of the leading lights of civil society and farmer groups at the Public Hearing on the Biosafety Bill Organised by the Joint Committee on Science and Technology and Agriculture in Abuja in 2009.

Madam Odey was recipient of ERA/FoEN prestigious Che Ibegwura Award in 2010 for her unswerving belief that Nigeria does not need GMO. She insisted that Nigerians can feed themselves and that farmers can feed the whole world. 

She has been involved in the campaign and mobilization of rural women on the benefits and need to cultivate cassava, a staple food crop consumed by people in Nigeria and in some other parts of Africa.

She started her working life as a consultant on agriculture/food processor and a trainer in 1990. Between 2000 - 2005 she was the Chairperson, Nigeria Cassava Growers Association, Cross River Chapter. That same year she embarked on cassava training workshop in two senatorial Districts of Cross River State. In that training women were coached in various processes of using cassava to produce snacks and other delicacies.

Her funeral arrangements will be announced by her family later.