A report of parliament’s Environment, Science and Technology Committee….said members are worried about the introduction of GMO products into [Ghana] without the requisite approval from the National Biosafety Authority which they say is illegal.
The committee has tasked….the National Biosafety Authority (NBA), to take steps to halt the trend by speeding up processes for the establishment of a biosafety lab.
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Eric Okoree, CEO of the Authority, says….there is nothing to fear. “I won’t say we are at risk because the Food and Drugs Authority has been on the ground all the time regulating food,” [he said].
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Ghana is on course to getting its first locally produced GMO crop onto the market….Field trials to produce local varieties of GMO cowpea with inherent resistant to pests have been completed.
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Research Scientist at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Dr. Richard Ameyaw Ampadu says there is [a] need for Ghana to quickly commercialize these crops so people are not tempted to import such improved varieties from other countries whether legally or illegally.
“….[T]he more we delay, the more the temptation for people to bring GMOs in….” he said.
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The National Biosafety Authority meanwhile says it is working towards establishing the biosafety laboratory to test imported foods….This, the authority says, will ensure only those GMO products with the requisite approvals are allowed in….
Read full, original article: National Biosafety Authority allays fears of parliament over ‘illegal GMOs’
