Ghana Agricultural Biotechnology Annual 2014
The President of the Republic of Ghana signed the Ghana Biosafety Act, 2011 (Act 831) December 2011 following the passage of the Biosafety Bill by the Ghanaian Parliament, in June 21, 2011. This will create a favorable environment for the development and commercialization of biotechnology seeds and crops. The Biosafety Act, 2011 (Act 831) establishes the National Biosafety Authority (NBA) as the administrative body that will manage the implementation of all issues related to Biotechnology in Ghana. The substantive Chief Executive (CEO) would be appointed by August this year. The crops that have been approved by the interim NBA for confined trials include Bt cowpea, Bt cotton, NUWEST rice and high protein sweet potato. However, only Bt. Cotton and has been approved to be field tested in Ghana. Ghana’s biosafety law is considered user friendly as it does not contain any labeling requirements for genetically engineered food products or strict liability provisions. This should help the country to respond to the challenges of food security and climate change.
