A national bio-safety authority, to regulate and oversee the application of modern biotechnology, is to be established soon in Ghana, the country’s environment, science and technology minister, Sherry Ayitey has announced.
The country’s Biosafety Law, enacted last December, called for the establishment of the authority to ensure adequate level of production in the field of safe development transfer, handling and use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) for agricultural and industrial activities.
In the ECOWAS sub region, neighbouring Burkina Faso is currently using biotechnology for farming particularly in cotton and vegetable production while Zimbabwe, Kenya, Mali and South Africa are also applying the technology. Out of the 25 countries planting biotech crops, 15 are developing countries, while 10 are industrialised.
View the original article here: Africa: Ghana sets up Biosafety Authority to regulate GM foods
