This he said will help the public understand and embrace biotechnology as a better alternative to socio-economic advancement.

He said such public education on biotechnology, especially on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), was needed to be carried out by the Board “to help correct the wrong perception created in the minds of the public regarding the technology.

[contextly_sidebar id=”ftPtqLG1zRbZ3IV85Lk7MrM9LwqMtOtE”]“Biotechnology is so important and we can’t develop without it”, the Minister noted, adding that countries like China in 1986 embraced biotechnology and did extensive research in various biotechnology systems which resulted in it fast advancement globally.

Speaking at the inauguration of the 13-member board of Directors of the NBA in Accra on Monday, Prof Frimpong-Boateng said since GMOs were good technological systems that help improve crop and plant varieties and ensure food security, it is proper that the public is well engaged to help them better understand and accept biotechnology.

He said GMOs were a branch of biotechnological systems that have been adopted by many countries including China to help develop plants and crops that were highly resistance to diseases and pests, thereby ensuring higher yields.

The new board, which has a three-year mandate, is chaired by Professor Charles Antwi-Boasiako, a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).

The Board is expected to make decisions on biosafety applications for safe development, transfer, handling and use of GMOs in Ghana, and address socio-economic issues related to biotechnology and biosafety.

It is also mandated to promote public awareness, participation and education, while establishing committees, including Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBCs) and set procedures for the operations of such committee, among other functions.

Prof Frimpong-Boateng explained that, genetically modified foods and products were being consumed everyday all over the world, and therefore, Ghanaians have to embrace GMOs as a new way of technological advancement that had come to stay to help the world cope with weather changes.

He said the Crop Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) continues to research and develop new plant and crops varieties like yams, maize, cassava and potatoes that were more resistant to the changing weather patterns, and gave the assurance that these were very safe for consumption.

He said Government on it parts initiated the biosafety system some 19 years ago for the country to have an appropriate and transparent decision-making mechanism for modern biotechnology for the benefit of the people and the environment.

The Biosafety Act, subsequently passed in 2011 in line with Ghana’s obligation under the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, legalizes Biosafety, to help the country make decisions on modern biotechnology, based on risk assessment and other considerations.

The Act also legally established the NBA.

The Minister noted that, government recognizes the potential adverse effects the technology could have on the environment and health, and therefore, had adopted Biosafety as a decision making mechanism for the management of the Technology.

He said the government, however, sees great potential in modern biotechnology and had therefore cited it in the National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy as one of the precision technologies to be adopted to enhance the socio-economic development of the country.

He therefore, tasked the NBA to take immediate steps to work with the Finance Ministry to finalize the free regime for biosafety applications and also manage the GMO detection laboratories, which was about to be commissioned to generate income for the NBA and the government.

Prof Antwi-Boasiako on behalf of the board, thanked the President for the confidence reposed in the members, and gave the assurance that the Board would work tirelessly to make it relevant in the rapidly-changing global environment of science and technology.

He said the Board would also work to promote environmentally-sound application of biotechnology that maximizes its potential benefits and minimizes the likely risk to the environment and human health.

The Board would scrutinize the handling of requests for approval of application for “Contained or confined Activity use involving GMOs, Introduction into environment, import or place in the market, exports and the GMOs in transit.

Other members of the NBA Board include, Eric Amaning Okoree, Chief Executive Officer of NBA, Ms Delese Mimi Darko, Chief Executive Officer of Food and Drugs Authority, Dr Yaa Difie Osei, Chairperson of the Technical Advisory Committee of MESTI, Ms Adelaide Asantewaa Asante of MESTI, and Mr Emmanuel Kojo Gyimah, of the Association of Ghana Industries.

Others are; Lawyer Yaw D. Oppong, a legal Practitioner, Prof Victoria Pearl Dzogbefia, an Academician, Dr Francis Boateng Agyenim of the CSIR, Dr Anastasia Michaelina Yirenkyi of the Ministry of Health, and Mr Anthony Asewa Mensah of the Ghana Revenue Authority.

The rest are Dr King-David Amoah, an NGO activist and Dr Samuel Asiedu Okantah, an academician.

–

Source: GNA

The post Ghanaians require proper education on GMOs – Minister appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Plant Breeders Bill, which was brought to Parliament for approval, triggered a massive debate in the country in 2014, with some groups including the Food Sovereignty Ghana insisting that it will undermine and damage traditional farming practices.

They also argued that approving the Bill will unnecessarily threaten public health, water resources, air and the natural environment.

Meanwhile, speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Wednesday, Communications Director of FSG, Edwin Kweku Andoh Baffour, clarified that they are instead against the Bill in its current form.

“We are not against hybrid, we are not against science, but we are against the genetic manipulation of organisms –when we take genes from one organism and artificially incorporate them into the gene of another.  We have never said the Plant Breeders Bill is about GMO. What we have said is that, the Plant Breeders Bill is going to open the way for multinational seed companies to monopolize our seeds. We are not against the Plant Breeders Bill, we are against the Plant Breeders Bill in its current form and we have clearly stated where we have a problem,” Mr. Baffour noted.

Mr. Baffour made the comment on the back of a petition his group sent to Parliament’s Appointment Committee to compel the House to reject Agric Minister nominee, Dr. Owusu Afriyie-Akoto, who they claim supports the introduction of Genetically Modified Foods in Ghana.

Their petition was however rubbished by the nominee, as the chairman of the committee, Joe Osei-Owusu, revealed that FSG had earlier apologized to Parliament for their public claims about the Plant Breeders Bill.

But Mr. Baffour rejected the claim saying, such incident never occurred.

Mr. Baffour told Bernard Avle on the Citi Breakfast Show that “…that was the first time I had heard of this, I don’t recall any need for an apology from Food Sovereignty so I was quite surprised when I heard the chairman of the committee stating that Food Sovereignty Ghana had apologized for something.”

“I’m not sure what exactly we had to apologize for,” he added.

–

By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post We’re not against Plant Breeders Bill – Food Sovereignty appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to the Communications Director of FSG Edwin Kweku Andoh Baffour, no such thing occurred.

Mr. Baffour made the comment on the back of a claim by the Chairman of the Appointments Committee of Parliament, Joe Osei-Owusu on Tuesday.

Mr. Osei-Owusu, after questioning the Agric Minister nominee, Dr. Owusu Afriyie-Akoto over a petition from the group at the latter’s ministerial vetting, revealed that the civil society organization failed to prove that the Plant Breeders Bill would promote GMO products in Ghana and subsequently apologized.

But the Communications Director of FSG told Bernard Avle on the Citi Breakfast Show on Wednesday that “…thiswas the first time I had heard of this, I don’t recall any need for an apology from Food Sovereignty so I was quite surprised when I heard the chairman of the committee stating that Food Sovereignty Ghana had apologized for something.”

“I’m not sure what exactly we had to apologize for,” he added.

Background

The Plant Breeders Bill which was brought to Parliament for approval triggered a massive debate in the country in 2014 with some groups tagging it as a way of legalizing genetically modified foods in the country.

Various stakeholders and individuals including Food Sovereignty Ghana kicked against it insisting that it will undermine and damage the traditional farming practices.

They also argued that approving the bill will cause an unnecessary threat to public health, water resources, air and the natural environment.

We’re not against Plant Breeders Bill

Food Sovereignty Ghana also stated that it is not against the Plant Breeders Bill but clarified that it is against some clauses in it.

“We are not against hybrid, we are not against science but we are against the genetic manipulation of organisms –when we take genes from one organism and artificially incorporate them into the gene of another.  We have never said the Plant Breeders Bill is about GMO. What we have said is that the Plant Breeders Bill is going to open the way for multinational seed companies to monopolize our seeds. We are not against the Plant Breeders Bill, we are against the Plant Breeders Bill in its current form and we have clearly stated where we have a problem,” Mr. Baffour noted.

Court orders Agric Ministry to halt production of GM products

An Accra Fast Track High Court in 2015 ordered the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to halt all the production and sale of Genetically Modified products in the country.

Food Sovereignty Ghana (FSG) dragged the Ministry to court seeking an injunction to prevent the Ministry from commercializing the sale of Genetically Modified (GM) foods in the country.

They claim the Ministry does not have the authority to commercialize such products.

–

By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post We didn’t apologize to Parliament over Plant Breeders Bill – Food Sovereignty appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to him, his calls have only been for the use of improved seeds developed by Ghanaian scientists to enhance crop production and earn farmers more income.

The nominee has been criticised by various farmer groups over his supposed support for the introduction of genetically modified (GMO) foods into the country. The groups say Mr Afriyie Akoto has been in support of GMO, which has subtly been captured in the Plan Breeders Bill currently before parliament.

Food Sovereignty Ghana (FSG), a grassroots food advocacy movement have raised serious concerns over the use of genetically modified seeds which they say have long-term effects on the health of consumers and quality of the soil.

The movement, recently petitioned Parliament’s Appointment Committee to disqualify Mr Afriyie-Akoto over his stance on the subject but according to him, the calls are misplaced.

Addressing Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Tuesday to be vetted for his ministerial position, the Kwadaso legislator said his position is not to bring GMO in the country.

“I think this whole thing is misplaced. The science which exists, and which has produced these 40 different improved varieties for our farmers of maize, rice and others, we have hardly used it. Only 11% of maize farmers are using improved seeds. There rest are using local varieties which is getting them nowhere. The task really is to ensure that the bulk of farmers adopt these improved seeds, get them fertilizers and extension so that our production can take off. It is not to bring some GMO into this country,” Dr Afriyie Akoto said.

He added that, “whoever says I am promoting GMO is not correct. I believe in Ghanaian scientists, Ghanaian scientists have done well. This ‘obaatampa’ [breed] is all over West Africa… All these other improved seeds that our research have been putting their backs to the wheel will earn scientists in this country some money in the future and not some GMO which is not going to benefit anybody,” Dr Afriyie Akoto said.

‘We’ll review cocoa scholarship program’

The nominee told the committee that he was committed to reviewing the cocoa scholarship program to ensure only deserving cocoa farmers benefit from it.

Some Members of Parliament have expressed worry that government’s cocoa scholarship program which was introduced to support the education of children of rural cocoa farmers had been supporting more urban dwellers instead but Mr Afriyie-Akoto said if he is given the mandate by the President, he will ensure that the trend is reversed.

–

By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @jnyabor

The post I’m not promoting GMO – Afriyie Akoto appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.