Editor’s Note: This article written by Walter Sandow Alhassan, the director of Biotechnology and Stewardship for Sustainable Agriculture, is a response to an article from January 19 in which Food Sovereignty Ghana (FSG) called on the country’s president to rescind his nomination for minister of food and agriculture on the grounds that the nominee believes GMOs are safe.
Dr Akoto’s stand is vindicated by the overwhelming endorsement of GM safety by the global scientific community and regulatory bodies in the US (Food and Drug Authority) and the EU (European Food Safety Authority) and major religious bodies. Studies over the past 30 years on the safety of genetically engineered (same in this context as GM) foods conclude that GM foods are as safe as conventional foods. Close to 610 publications and over the past three decades attest to the safety of GM foods. No groups of foods have seen more rigorous tested for safety to humans, animals and the environment than GM foods.
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It is true that the vast majority of US residents consume GM foods with NO REPORTED ADVERSE EFFECT ON HEALTH despite a minimum of 20 years consumption of such foods.
In the case of Ghana, after all said and done, the country has a Biosafety Act 831 of 2011 that regulates all GM crops or products under research likely to enter the food chain eventually. Ghanaians should be comfortable with the safety of GM products certified for use by the National Biosafety Authority that is in place.
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A similar misinformation by FSG contributed to the delay in the passage of the Plant Breeders Bill that is designed to catalyse the development of new plant varieties for Ghana by protecting, through patents, investment in variety development.
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post: RE: Agric Minister-Designate Deserves Support over GMO stance
