Chiefs and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the Upper West Region have called on government to urgently place a moratorium on the passage of the Plant Breeders Bill (PBB).<\/p>\n
The also want government to empower research institutions in the country to join their counterparts in Europe, India and china to come out with a concrete stance on the issues the bill seeks to legitimize.<\/p>\n
The chiefs led by the acting president of the Upper West Regional House of Chiefs, Kuoro Richard Babini Kantonvi made the call in a joint communiqu\u00e9 issued in Wa with the Upper West regional coalition of NGOs on mining, food, water and sacred sites after a day\u2019s workshop on the Plant Breeders Bill and traditional authorities in the Upper West Region.<\/p>\n
The two groups observed with grave concern that despite several appeals from individuals, civil society organizations and a cross section of Ghanaian chiefs on government to exercise restraint on the bill, the Mahama led administration is bent passing it.<\/p>\n
They opined that \u201cresearch institutions such as the Savannah Agricultural Research Institute have developed local varieties of crops and plants which are culturally accepted and should be made economically accessible to local farmers rather than relying on the PBB to bring food sovereignty to the country.\u201d<\/p>\n
The chiefs alleged that even before the passage of the PBB, companies are using some individuals to distribute free genetically modified (GM) seeds in some parts of the region \u201cwithout first educating farmers on such seeds\u201d .<\/p>\n
This situation they say is already exposing the region to serious food security problems since \u201csuch seeds have failed several farmers after many attempts of cultivation. Most farmers are gradually losing their indigenous seed varieties\u201d the communiqu\u00e9 decried.\u201d<\/p>\n
On international trade agreement, the chiefs argued that since the country is gearing up to sign the Economic Partnership Agreement, legalizing the PBB and genetically modified organisms will have dare consequences for \u00a0Ghanaian farmers because the EU \u201cis against GM foods.\u201d<\/p>\n
The chiefs advised all parliamentarians to thoroughly consult traditional authorities and rural Ghanaian farmers before the PBB is taken to any further stage for consideration.<\/p>\n
They called on president Mahama not to pass the bill or risk \u201cseries of legitimate actions including street protests to resist the passage of the PBB.\u201d<\/p>\n
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By: Mahama Latif\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana<\/p>\n
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Chiefs and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the Upper West Region have called on government to urgently place a moratorium on the passage of the Plant Breeders Bill (PBB). The also want government to empower research institutions in the country to join their counterparts in Europe, India and china to come out with a concrete […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":44376,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[56,17],"yoast_head":"\n