By
Benjamin Akoto, GNA
Nkawkaw (E/R), September 16, GNA – The Eastern
Regional Director of Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), Mr Henry Crentsil
Jnr. has called for the need to repackage messages related to Genetically
Modified Technology to clear the misconception people have on Genetical
Modified Organisms (GMO’s).
He explained that without a well packaged
message that convincingly explain and answer public concerns, the adaptation of
the technology to help the country to respond appropriately to the impact of
climate change and population increase on agriculture would be very
challenging.
Mr Crentsil made this remarks in an interview
with the media at a training workshop organized by Open Forum on Agricultural
Biotechnology (OFAB) Ghana, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) at Nkawkaw.
OFAB Ghana is a member of the OFAB Africa
group, which aims at creating awareness on bio-technology and genetically
modified organisms in Africa, in Ghana, the project is hosted by the Council
for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
The one day training also aims at ensuring
that the farmers understand the technology and would be able to adopt it
effectively and address the misconceptions many people have concerning GMO’s.
Mr Crentsil Jnr called for the creation of the
necessary environment in terms of policy guidelines, laws and institutions
needed to provide the biosafety environment for the adaptation of genetical
modified technology to enable the country to achieve the expected yields in
agriculture.
He called for collaboration among all
stakeholders to help realize the adaptation of genetically modified technology
in agriculture.
A Research Scientist at the Biotechnology and
Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute (BNARI) –Ghana Atomic Energy Commission,
Mr Daniel Osei Ofosu said the workshop is intended to educate participants to
clear the misconceptions about the technology.
Mr Ofosu indicated that with the continues
interaction, people would understand and see the need for the technology.
Mr Ofosu said GMO’s are good and Ghana is in
the process of testing some GMO’s to be used in the agriculture sector, because
the challenges faced by the agriculture sector needs improved technologies in
solving it.
Mr
Ofosu assured Ghanaians that the technology is going to be well managed because
there are relevant laws and institutions to ensure the safety of humans and the
environment.
Mr Odame Asante, a farmer at Banka, a farming
community in the Kwahu West District, said the training has enlightened him and
helped cleared the misconceptions he and most farmers had about GMO’s.
The over 60 participants who were farmers and Agriculture Extension
Officers as part of the training were sensitized on GMO seeds: how they are
made, regulations and Biosafety in Ghana and the Economics