Debate over: NPP, NDC accept GMO with caution

Since April this year when it was reported that Ghana’s National Biosafety Authority (NBA) has approved the commercialisation of 14 new genetically modified organisms (GMO) crops, people have reacted differently to it.

The debate over whether the adoption of GMOs has long been settled with the establishment of the Biosafety Act 2011 (Act 831), which gave birth to the National Biosafety Authority (NBA).

For the two main political parties, the adoption of GMOs is a welcome development provided it seeks to improve food production, ensuring food is secured and more importantly, assures of no health implications.

They believe that with the current impact of climate change on agriculture and the devastating effect of insects on crops, the introduction of GMO crops will address those challenges.

NPP position

For the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the issue of GMOs “is not about somebody coming to say he has a position on it. There is an authority that determines it and is supposed to work independently”.

Giving the party’s position on it in an interview with the Daily Graphic, a Member and Spokesperson for the NPP Agric and Fisheries Manifesto Committee, Moses Anim, added that Ghana signed on to an international protocol, which was ratified by Parliament, which necessitated the GNB Act.

“Ghana signed onto the protocol and also established a regulatory body called the NBA and there is an Act of Parliament governing their action and inaction,” he explained.

He said the NBA had been clothed with the legal authority to determine or otherwise base on scientific evidence. 

“They are to be transparent, and give opportunity to science base evidence presentations by the public. There are redress procedures established by the act,” he added.

Mr Anim believed that as a nation, what the NPP would do was strengthen and resource the authority to let it play its cardinal role so that anything that would be inimical to the country would not be allowed.

“Secondly, what our manifesto is putting out is to give the Ghanaian Indigenous species an advantage because when you allow anything that comes from outside and you accept it, then it should be accepted on the basis that we cannot develop it here ourselves,” Mr Anim said.

Mr Anim, who is also the Member of Parliament for Trobu, added that the focus would be to support and resource local seed companies so that “as Ghanaians, we can develop our seeds on our own and not import them”.

Mr Anim explained that even with the GMO, those seeds would be developed locally, using indigenous seeds to advance their progression in terms of getting them to be economical and resilient to climate change, with the ability to give higher yields.

“The seed must be disease and drought-resistant,” he added. 
 

NDC position

For its part, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) reaffirmed its dedication to sustainable agricultural transformation, emphasising the need for innovation and modernisation to address Ghana’s agricultural challenges. 

Speaking on the party’s stance on GMOs, a National Spokesperson on Agriculture & Agribusiness, Harry Yamson, underscored the NDC’s commitment to ensuring that every agricultural policy supported the well-being of farmers and the broader ecosystem.

“The NDC remains steadfast in its commitment to transforming Ghana's agricultural sector through innovation, modernisation and sustainable practices.

“Guided by the principles of environmental stewardship and economic empowerment, the NDC's Agriculture for Economic Transformation Agenda (AETA) is designed to enhance productivity, reduce food inflation, and create sustainable jobs across the value chain,” Mr Yamson stated.

He explained that while the NDC recognised the need for continuous dialogue on emerging agricultural technologies, including GMOs, the party would evaluate such technologies based on their impact on smallholder farmers and public health. 

“The party will accept GMOs if they demonstrably improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and consumers. However, we will resist their adoption if they are proven to have harmful implications for the health of the population or the environment.

The NDC’s manifesto prioritises strategic investments in research, plant breeding, pest management, and climate-resilient agriculture,” he clarified. 

Mr Yamson noted that those initiatives reflected a deliberate focus on science-driven and sustainable solutions, ensuring that Ghana’s agricultural policies addressed both immediate and long-term challenges.

“The NDC is committed to policies that empower Ghanaian farmers, foster food security, and promote sustainable development. As the world grapples with climate change, we believe in adopting agricultural practices that balance innovation with environmental protection and farmer welfare.

“The NDC calls for stakeholder engagement and transparency as critical components of its approach to agricultural development,” he said, affirming the party’s dedication to building a resilient and inclusive agricultural economy for all Ghanaians.

Recently, it was reported that the Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB) Ghana Chapter endorsed the newly genetically modified Songotra T Cowpea in Ghana as natural and safe for humans, livestock and the environment at a scientific community sensitisation engagement organised by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in collaboration with OFAB Ghana.

At the event, a Senior Research Scientist at the Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Dr Daniel Osei Ofosu, was quoted as saying the controversy surrounding the safety of GMOs was a false narrative propagated by anti-GMOs who did not wish Ghana or Africa to be food sufficient.

In that direction, the Centre for Indigenous Knowledge and Organisational Development (CIKOD) is cautioning the country from embracing it.

The Deputy Executive Director of CIKOD South, Wilberforce Laate, recalled how South Africa, which proved GMO 28 years ago was backtracking, saying that as recent as October 22, 2024, “after a nine-year battle with Monsanto, the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) won a pivotal decision in South Africa’s Supreme Court.

“The court agreed with the ACB that South Africa’s Executive Council of the GMO Act had approved Monsanto’s drought-resistant maize without fully assessing its safety for human health and the environment, disregarding evidence from other experts,” he added.

Mr Laate also cited how the government of Burkina Faso and its farmers, after eight years of embracing GMO cotton, abandoned the technology.

He said both scenarios were indications that the country did not need to rush to endorse GMOs as the panacea for food security.

Writer’s email: severious.dery@graphic.com.gh