By Rexford GYAMPA
Since the National Biosafety Authority (NBA) approved the commercialization of 14 Genetically Modifies Products, (GMO) the country’s food marked has been flooded with a lot of such products.
That decision marked a significant milestone in the country’s strategic utilization of biotechnology to enhance its agricultural sector.
The NBA’s approval extends to the use of these product in many sectors including food, feed and industrial applications, underlining the versatility and potential impact of these advancements.
The move aligns with Ghana’s broader agenda to harness biotechnology responsibly for sustainable agricultural development and economic growth.
Notably, the recent approval by the NBA follows a previous one in 2022 when the NBA authorized the environmental release of GMO cowpea resistant to the destructive Maruca pod borer which is known to ravage over 50 percent of cowpea without control measures, presents a significant challenge to traditional farming practices.
In contrast, the GMO cowpea requires minimal chemical treatment, representing a promising solution for farmers and enhancing crop resilience.
Despite the fact that the United States Department of Agriculture praised Ghana for ‘continuing to demonstrate its conviction that proven science-based advanced technologies remain viable option in the global efforts to achieve food security’ the country must take a second look at the NBA’s approval.
This is so following what the public outcry about the issue is all about. In December 2024, lawyers in Ghana and Nigeria called on their respective governments to ban GMOs from their nations’ agricultural systems.
In their communique, they called on their governments to reject the introduction of GMOs and adhere to the Precautionary principle in dealing with biosafety issues.
The legal experts agreed that both nations should utterly reject the oppressive food system that GMO profiteers support and represent, which puts corporate profit, biotech and market to expansion over food sovereignty and people.
In a layman’s view, industrial agriculture without sustainable practices has no real contribution to the national food sovereignty of Ghanaians as it is part of a biotech corporate agenda and capitalist national regime bent on making Africa remain a cheap resource continent and market for finished products and dumping ground.
Currently, the European Union is discussing a proposal to deregulate plants produced with new genomic techniques (NGTs). The haste and lack of scientific basis for this proposal is a huge threat to health and the environment as it would open the door for herbicide resistant plants.
In particular we are concerned about the herbicide-tolerant crops that will lead an increase in the use of harmful pesticides. It is therefore essential that all GMOs and NGTs remain a subject to a robust risk assessment to adequately assess possible impacts on ecosystem and human health.
It is therefore my humble opinion that Ghana must tighten its laws on the control of the import and turnover of GMOs and stay away from the requirements for the safety for agricultural products from Western countries. Else we are in for trouble in the near future.
