The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana have expressed concerns following the government’s recent approval of 14 novel Genetically Modified (GM) products for commercial use.
“The decision by the government to go ahead with the commercialization of GM crops is particularly shocking and contrary to the promise made by government on January 14th, 2020, through the then minister for Food and Agriculture,” they said in a statement on Tuesday.
The farmers argue that the approval of the new GM crops would eventually make Ghanaian farmers pay more for seeds as they call on members to reject the supply of the seed varieties.
“The consequences of this approval are dire and marks the beginning of the loss of Ghana’s control of our own indigenous agricultural system, leaving it at the hands and control of powerful multinationals, who can decide and dictate the pace of our food system,” their statement added.
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Since the announcement of the 14 new GMOs, there’s been opposition also from the General Agricultural Workers Union and farming aggregators who say the government ought to focus on addressing challenges with organic agriculture instead.
Ghana in 2020 passed the Plant Variety Protection Act – a law that guarantees the genetic diversity of food crops, and on the basis for which the country released its first GM cowpea crop in 2022.
The government had argued the measures would ensure food security and raise the household income of farm workers who constitute about 90% of Ghana’s agricultural workforce.
But the peasant farmers association doesn’t seem to agree as they say the law only gives room to “promote the interest of four multinational seed companies; Bayer, Corteva, Syngenta and Group Limagrain” who control over 50% of the global seed sector.