Crop Director at CSIR calls for regulatory policies to revise Ghana’s bio safety law
Dr Hans Adu-Dapaah, Director of Crop Research of the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Ghana, has called for regulatory policies to revise the bio- safety law to maximise gains in the era of genetic revolution.
He said this would help reduce cost without compromising quality and safety since rigorous regulatory requirements increases costs.
Dr Adu-Dapaah made the call at the 2012 maiden monthly session of Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology in Africa, on the theme: “The new Bio- safety and its implications for Biotechnology Research in Ghana,” in Accra on Monday.
The meeting was aimed at bringing together stakeholders in biotechnology and facilitate interactions between scientists, journalists, civil societies, law and policy makers.
The initiative served as a platform for stakeholders to share experiences and explore new avenues for unleashing biotechnology.
The event was also used to launch Biotechnology Stewardship Policy Statement by Strengthening Capacity for Safe Biotechnology Management in the Sub-Sahara Africa to deliberate on safe and responsible application of modern biotechnology.
The Bio safety Act, 831, 2011 will enable Ghana to allow the application of biotechnology in food crop production involving Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) to enter food production.
It will also ensure an adequate level of production in the field of safe development transfer, handling and use of GMOs that are pharmaceuticals for human use, and which are the subject of any other enactment.
Dr Adu-Dapaah said the bio safety law was not only consistent with the provisions and requirements of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Cartagena Protocol but also provides an enabling environment for modern technology research and development to thrive and safeguard the country from potential risks posed by the technology.
He noted that law provided regulatory framework to regulate, deliberate release of products produced through modern biotechnology and protects the public.
He urged stakeholders to work collectively for the implementation of the law to make Ghana a competitive participant and a beneficiary in the global biotechnology revolution.
Source: GNA