The recommendation follows the inability of the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to get any benefit from the seeds it developed in 2017 for the Planting for Food and Jobs programme due to the lack of the legislation.

The Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research, CSIR, in support of the government’s planting for food and jobs programme, developed several improved varieties of food including sweet potatoes, cassava, cocoyam and yam.

These crops were adopted by Ghanaian farmers, as well as several other farmers in the West Africa region due to their high level of yield.

However, because there was no legislation to protect the new varieties developed, no benefits accrued to the CSIR.

As a result, the committee in its report on the budget estimates of the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, recommended the re-introduction of the Plant Breeders Bill to ensure that patents of the CSIR are protected for benefits  to accrue to it.

The Plant Breeders Bill, which was put before Parliament in 2013, went through the first and second consideration stages, but was put on hold at the third stage when a pressure group, Food Sovereignty Ghana (FSG), raised alarm that the passage of the bill would lead to the imposition of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) into Ghana’s food chain.

The FSG, joined by other civil organisations, argued that the introduction of GMOs would lead to commercial exploit of the poor farmers, and therefore urged Parliament to defer debate on the bill to allow public consultations to be undertaken prior to the introduction of GMOs in Ghana.

Atomic Energy Commission

The committee also noted that, although the Atomic Energy Commission participates in the activities of the International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA), Ghana stood to lose its voting rights because the country had not paid its contribution to the Association since 2016.

The country is expected to pay the Association a technical contribution fund allowance, national participation cost and regular budget contribution all amounting to €201,695.

The committee, therefore urged the Ministry of Finance to pay up the country’s commitment to IAEA to ensure that it does not lose its vote on issues on Atomic Energy, as well as other benefits that may accrue to the Atomic Energy Commission in terms of technical support and equipment.

Nuclear Regulatory Authority

The committee also noted with concern that the Nuclear Regulatory Authority which was set up by law was yet to receive the needed support to function optimally.

The authority still relies on the Atomic energy Commission for support in terms of human resource as it was yet to receive approval to recruit the about 40 new staff that seeks to engage.

The authority was also not able to utilise its Internally Generated Funds (IGF) as support to its operations because the Ministry of Finance (MoF) was yet to capture it as a non-tax revenue organisation.

The committee was ,however, satisfied to note that the MESTI was taking steps to ensure that the MoF gave approval for the generation and utilisation of the IGF by the authority.

It was again realised that the authority spent an amount of GH¢ 968,614 for the servicing of vehicles and night allowance when it needed funds to purchase new cars to aid in its activities.

The committee considered the practice as unacceptable and urged MESTI to take a further look at the activities of the authority to ensure that such practices were curbed.

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Source: Graphic.com.gh

The post Parliamentary C’ttee calls for re-introduction of Plant Breeders Bill 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.

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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.

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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.