Pandemic food shortages could boost Ghana’s acceptance of insect-resistant GM Bt cowpea

The Covid-19 pandemic is increasing public interest in local food production, which may boost consumer acceptance of the insect-resistant genetically modified (GM) cowpea being developed in Ghana, some scientists say.

The global pandemic is making people appreciate the need for every nation to locally develop seeds and other agricultural inputs, which is likely to encourage public acceptance of technologies that are capable of helping farmers boost yields with scarce resources.

“The COVID thing has generally been negative, but this is one positive aspect,” Prof. Walter Alhassan, former Director General of Ghana’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), told the Alliance for Science.

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“It will make us look inward and generate appropriate technologies for our needs.”

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