Accra, Ghana//-The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) has expressed its disappointment and condemned the Government of Ghana’s interest in promoting the agenda of multinational seed companies through their agents in Ghana.
This follows the government’s recent approval of the commercialization of 14 novel Genetically Modified Organism (GM) products, comprising eight maize and six soya bean products through the National Biosafety Authority (NBA).
This comes on the back of the release of the GM cowpea in 2022, which was also done on the blind side of farmers and Ghanaian consumers.
“While we find this development disturbing, we are not particularly surprised, as we predicted that neglecting the resistance of key stakeholders against the passage of the Plant Variety Protection Act, 2020, which was just a leeway and a canopy to allow the commercialization of GMO products which are meant to promote the interest of four multinational seed companies; Bayer, Corteva, Syngenta and Group Limagrain that controls over 50% of the seed sector globally (https://www.grida.no/resources; https://www.foodandpower.net/gmos-seeds)”, the National President Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana, Wepia Addo Awal Adugwala said in a press release.
It added that the decision by the government to go ahead with the commercialization of GM crops is particularly shocking and contrary to the promise made by the government on January 14th 2020, through the then Minister for Food and Agriculture, who promised farmers that “the nation has capable scientists who could use traditional breeding methods to produce high yielding varieties and disease resistance plants for cultivation by farmers and hence no need for GMOs in the next 100 years in Ghana (https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ghananews-ghana-does-not-need-gmo-to-ensurefood-sufficiency.html).
Are GMO cropping the problem of the Ghanaian farmer? The answer is a big NO, the peasant farmers stated.
“This is because the Ghanaian farmer managed to produce so much food with the farmer-saved seeds and new seed varieties released by local seed breeders.
In 2023, Ghanaian farmers without any government support managed to produce so many grains, tubers and vegetables and are currently struggling for the market”.
All efforts for the government to assist with market access have failed and now, rice and maize farmers are depending on Burkinabes and Togolese for the market.
If we can produce so much with our local seeds, why does the penchant taste for laboratory seeds come with serious negative implications on health, the economy, and the environment?
Where should the government and Ghanaian scientist be focusing their energy if they indeed have the interest of Ghanaians and not their stomach?
- There is a serious challenge with climate change and efforts should be made to provide enough water for all year-round farming.
- Limited mechanization demotivates the majority of young people from farming and the government’s efforts should be directed to support mechanization services.
- There is difficulty in accessing finance and it needs urgent attention
- There are persistent high post-harvest losses and a lack of guaranteed market 5. Increasing the high cost of inputs and energy.
Our scientists should rather focus their energies on promoting alternative power such as solar for all, according to them.
“The consequences of this approval are dire and mark the beginning of the loss of Ghana’s control of our indigenous agricultural system, leaving it in the hands and control of powerful multinationals, who can decide and dictate the pace of our food system.
The experiences of COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine crises on food nationalism and protectionism should have given our leaders a hint of not sacrificing the control of a country’s production system, particularly seeds, into the hands of multinationals.
We will gradually lose our indigenous foods and seed varieties, which comprise our public health, through the production and consumption of these “deadly” foods”.
Moreover, contrary to assertions that these crops require minimum chemical treatments, evidence from other parts of the world (USA, Argentina, South Africa etc.) indicate that farmers will be saddled with the increased cost of seeds, as these GM seeds are extremely expensive, and farmers will have to purchase them every season if they want to produce.
The much-cherished culture of farmer-saved and exchange of seeds, which has been the beacon and foundation of our agricultural production will be lost forever due to this development.
This is because the Plant Variety Protection Act, which we vehemently opposed, but has been passed nonetheless, gives protection to these multinational companies to arrest and convict farmers, who attempt to save and exchange seeds.
With this disturbing development, the Peasant Farmers Association, will not allow our farmers to be exploited by state officials, who put their interest ahead of the national interest.
The Association, by this press release, demands an immediate response and assurance from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) that the inputs to be supplied under the ongoing PFJ 2.0 shall not include these GM varieties.
To this end, the Association is calling on all members to reject any GMO seeds that will be supplied by any company, individual or government.
Moreover, we demand that NBA immediately release to the public the process and procedures for granting these approvals including the appropriate labels for these varieties for both farmers and consumers.
This will enable us to sensitize our farmers and the public on the type of input they are buying on the market. The Association will, in a few days, come together with other stakeholders to lay out our next plan of action to resist the attempt and efforts to reintroduce colonialism into our food space in the name of technology.