Edwin Kweku Andoh-Baffour (right) speaking in an interview
Food Sovereignty Ghana (FSG), a food advocacy group, has appealed to the incoming New Patriotic Party (NPP) government led by Nana Akufo-Addo to place an indefinite moratorium on the cultivation and sale of Genetically Modified (GM) Foods in Ghana.
According to the group, the new administration should not allow the patronage of GM Foods in Ghana until their human health and environmental impact have been thoroughly studied and cleared by independent scientists rather than corporate-driven, profit-oriented scientists and regulators.
Edwin Kweku Andoh-Baffour, Communications Directorate of FSG, in statement to congratulate Nana Addo and the NPP, called on the new incoming administration to, as a matter of urgency, consider the systematic application of agro-ecology and sustainable agriculture as a crucial national challenge.
“We urgently need to tackle this in the face of climate change and our survival needs. We need to tackle this for the sake of ensuring the sanctity of human health, environment, for our own sake and for the sake of future generations.
“We need to tackle this in order to reverse the dwindling incomes of small household farmers- the backbone of Ghana’s agriculture, who are almost half of the entire population of Ghana,” Andoh Baffour said.
Uphold Farmers’ Rights
He stressed the need for the new government to uphold farmers’ rights as enshrined in the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) of which Ghana is a signatory.
“In particular, the farmers’ right to use, sell, save and exchange farm-saved seeds is currently under a serious threat by the Plant Breeders’ Bill (2103), as well as the Arusha Plant Protection Protocol, which also awaits ratification by Parliament,” Andoh Baffour added.
He said, “It is about time Ghana sought Ghanaian solutions to Ghanaian problems rather than allowing foreign giant agricultural and chemical corporations to impose their solutions to their advantage for profit maximization at the expense of the poor Ghanaian farmers,” he said.
Mr. Andoh Baffour said Ghana has the right to develop its own unique system of plant breeders’ rights protection that is suitable to her developmental needs.
Withdraw Plant Breeders Bill
He called for the withdrawal of the Plant Breeders Bill from Parliament and replaced with a “Sui Generis” Plant Breeders’ and Farmers’ Rights Protection Bill.
Mr. Andoh Baffour also called for the total rejection of the Arusha New Plants Protection Protocol.
“We are happy for change because President Mahama failed to heed our numerous calls to ban GM Foods,” he said.
By Cephas Larbi
cephrok@yahoo.com