Bismarck Owusu Nortey, Executive Director of the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG), has raised concerns over the promotion of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in Ghana, cautioning that it could commercialize the nation’s food systems and place them under the control of foreign superpowers.
Nortey argued that if GMOs were widely adopted, Ghana’s food sovereignty would be jeopardized, with external forces dictating how the country manages its agricultural resources.
Addressing a stakeholder and community engagement forum in Wa to mark the International Day of Rural Women, Nortey reaffirmed PFAG’s opposition to the government’s push for legislation allowing the commercialization of GMOs.
He emphasized that Ghana already has resilient traditional farming systems and indigenous seed varieties capable of withstanding climate change, questioning the need for foreign technology to replace these time-tested practices.
The event, organized by PFAG in collaboration with ActionAid Ghana and the Centre for Indigenous Knowledge and Organisational Development (CIKOD), sought to deepen understanding of GMOs and promote sustainable agricultural practices. Nortey reiterated that by focusing on indigenous methods, Ghana could safeguard its food systems without ceding control to international interests.
In addition to the GMO debate, PFAG renewed calls for urgent government action against illegal mining, citing its destructive impact on farmlands and water bodies essential for agriculture. Nortey warned that the continued degradation of these resources would push the nation towards a generational food crisis, adding that the government’s current interventions were insufficient to address the scale of the problem.
Supporting this view, Justin Bayor, Head of Programmes at ActionAid Ghana, stressed the importance of food sovereignty and the development of indigenous seeds to empower local farmers. He pointed out that by maintaining control over their food systems, communities could ensure equitable access to resources and reduce dependence on foreign imports.
Daniel Banuoku, Deputy Director of CIKOD, also advocated for a return to indigenous seeds, noting their resilience to climate change and cost-effectiveness for farmers. Traditional leaders like Pognaa Fatima Osman, Queen mother of the Tabiesi community, voiced their commitment to spreading awareness about the benefits of indigenous seeds, highlighting the need for knowledge-sharing to bolster food security at the grassroots level.
