Biosafety Committee To Research Genetic Foods

The National Biosafety Committee (NBC) has received three applications for research and field trials of genetically modified (GM) crops in Ghana.

The GM is a special set of technologies that alter the genetic makeup of organisms such as animals, plants or bacteria.

While the NBC has received one application seeking permit to research into a particular variety of cowpea, two other applicants are seeking the NBC’s consent for field trials of sweet potato.

The Chairman of the committee, Professor E.C. Quaye, disclosed this to the Daily Graphic on the fringes of a workshop to develop Ghana’s National Communication Strategy on Biosafety.

Prof. Quaye pledged that the NBC would be transparent in its work to ensure public confidence in biotechnology and biosafety which had both health and environmental protection implications.

He said the NBC now understood proactive communication and would build an image that would ensure that its decisions would not become subject to court actions.

The workshop was organised by the AU-NEPAD/African Biosafety Network of Expertise and the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST) and was aimed at enhancing risk communication capacities on research and commercialisation of genetically modified (GM) crops in Ghana.

It brought together participants from the Ministry of Environment Science and Technology (MEST), academia, the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Ministry of Health, Food and Drugs Board and the media.

The workshop was also in line with the Ghana Biosafety Law enacted by Parliament in June 2011. The Act prescribes the development and deployment of a communication strategy on Biosafety. This is to enable the public to appreciate biosafety issues and also participate in making decisions on the subject.

The law expects that since biotechnology, among others, is a tool in agriculture and health-related research, the players should recognise that the deliberate release of living modified organisms (LMOs) into the environment may have significant adverse effects on the environment, and pose risk to human health, hence the need for transparency and public participation in decision making on LMOs.

“The trust element is very important because we are now taking off. It is, therefore, important to have confidence because if we don’t we are wasting everybody’s time, ” he said.

Prof. Quaye urged metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies to also lead the crusade in disseminating information on biosafety.

The GMOs continue to stir controversy around the world. While its critics have raised alarm about their potential human impacts, including allergies, transfer of antibiotic resistance makers and potential environmental impact, domination of world food production by a few companies, its proponents see it as means to improve resistance to disease, pests, herbicides, reduced maturation time, increased nutrients, yields, stress tolerance and improved animal health leading to better yields of meat, eggs and milk.

Although there are no documented researches proving that genetically-modified crops necessarily harm human beings, their contribution to allergies in humans is a new occurrence, which is still being researched.

According to critics what is, however, undisputed and truly fearsome is that they could cross into the natural environment of a country and interact with, or contaminate its own indigenous crops.

Currently, a little over 60 countries have passed laws accepting biotechnology. In Africa, three countries - South Africa, Egypt and Burkina Faso have taken the lead.

In Ghana, among the steps being taken to implement the law is the establishment of the National Biosafety Authority, which Prof. Quaye stated, could be fully functional by the end of the year depending on support from the government.

Mr Samuel Timpo, a facilitator and a Senior Programme Officer in charge of Socio-economic Communication of the AU-NEPAD/ABNE, said biosafety regulators should avoid being drawn into defending the biotechnology industry, since this should be done by scientists working for public and private institutions and business spokesperson.

“However, it is important that regulators respond to misinformation about the safety of transgenic organisms. This should be a rapid response to ensure that the public does not associate harm with activities that are well managed; organisms that are contained and confined, or organisms that have been assessed and found to be as safe as conventional organisms used for the same or similar purposes.”

A Global Biosafety Specialist, Mrs Muffy Koch, who was also a facilitator, said neutrality was a key requirement for all regulatory communication, especially when drafting decision documents that recorded regulatory responses to specific applications for activities with transgenic organisms.

She urged members of the NBC not to run away from problems concerning biosafety issues but rather use the opportunity to educate the public on biotechnology, biosafety and the way forward when they cropped up .