Varsity Don warns against GMOs

AN agricultural economist and educationist, Professor Saa Dittoh, has warned against the subtle acceptance of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) within the country’s agricultural eco-system.

According to him any move towards dependence on proprietary seeds could create risks for Ghana’s food security and every step must be taken to prevent it in the country.

The economist made the remarks during the sixth International Research Conference of the University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (UBIDS) in Wa on Wednesday.

Prof. Dittoh questioned the need for Ghana to shift towards GMOs when existing crop varieties could be improved to address production challenges.

The university Don said he had consistently opposed the adoption of GMOs, arguing that Ghana should first examine the potential of existing varieties before embracing new technologies.

He cited the maize variety “Obatanpa” as an example, saying he had not been convinced that another hybrid maize variety was superior to it in terms of yield.

“Nobody can convince me that there is any other hybrid maize or anything that is better than Obatanpa,” he stressed.

Prof. Dittoh questioned why Ghana would move away from open-pollinated varieties, which farmers could replant, towards hybrid seeds that required farmers to purchase new seed for subsequent cultivation.

According to him, the shift could increase farmers’ dependence on commercial seed producers and reduce their ability to retain planting materials from one farming season to another.

“Why are we leaving the open-pollinated seeds?” he asked.

Prof. Dittoh, a former Vice Chancellor of the UBIDS, argued that commercial interests could be influencing the production and distribution of agricultural seeds, warning that greater dependence on externally controlled agricultural technologies could create vulnerabilities if seed systems become concentrated in the hands of a few producers.

He described the political economy surrounding agriculture as a serious concern and called for greater attention to Ghana’s ability to determine the direction of its agricultural development.

“If we don’t decolonise agriculture and know that yes, agriculture is for us, and we understand what we are doing,” he agitated, stressing the need for local control and understanding of agricultural production.

Prof. Dittoh also raised concerns about the possibility of food being used as an instrument of control.

He warned that the capacity to control essential agricultural inputs could have implications for food security.

“Making food into a weapon is something that can just destroy everybody. We shouldn’t allow that to happen,” he emphasized.

He further invoked a biblical passage from Genesis 1:29, which he interpreted as emphasizing the importance of plants producing seed, linking the passage to his argument about agricultural reproduction and seed systems.

Prof. Dittoh questioned the implications of seeds that farmers cannot reproduce for subsequent planting and urged participants to examine such issues through scientific research.

He also raised broader questions about agricultural production, including commercial poultry eggs, and called for further scientific investigation into food production systems.

He attributed the limited scientific investigation of some of the concerns he raised partly to inadequate research funding, saying researchers who could provide financial support might not have an interest in studies that challenge prevailing agricultural systems.

The professor urged participants at the conference to examine Ghana’s agricultural choices critically and consider the long-term implications of dependence on seed technologies for farmers and the country’s food security.

FROM NAZIRU ALHASSAN, WA

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