Anti-GMO coalition demo today at Kaneshie market

The Coalition of civil society groups against genetically modified organisms will demonstrate today (Thursday) at the Kaneshie market.

 
Food Sovereignty Ghana which is leading the demonstration strongly argues that the plant breeders' bill which Ghana's Parliament is considering passing is inimical to the business of local farmers as well as a threat to the health of Ghanaians.

 
Other members of the coalition include the Centre for Indigenous Knowledge on Organisation Development, Peasant Farmers Associations, Coalition for Farmers Rights and Advocacy Against GMOs, COFAM, the Christian Council of Ghana, the Convention Peoples' Party, the Catholic Bishops Conference amongst others.

 
They argue that implementing the plant breeders' bill, the seed and fertilizer act and the biosafety act will “damage, undermine, and criminalise traditional farming practices and hurt the public interest.”

 
It says: “These laws will encourage misappropriation of Ghana's genetic resources as well as ensure the inequitable sharing of benefits and legalise outright theft of local crop germplasm for the benefit of foreign corporations.”

 
The Coalition also fears those laws will: “Pre-empt the laws of Ghana and prevent farmers from freely saving, using, and sharing seed from season to season as they have always done, adding that: “The ultimate result of the bill will be to put Ghana's food supply into the hands of foreign corporations.”

 
It argues that: “GMOs are bullets aimed at the heart of Ghana and the plant breeders' bill serves as the cross-hairs enabling foreign corporations to directly target Ghana. The objective is to disable the ability of Ghanaians to legally challenge anything relating to GMO imposition,” it warns.

 
The group says the bill, “currently at the consideration stage before our Parliament is all about the imposition of genetically modified organisms into our food chain without public awareness, discussion, or public participation in that decision.”