Ghana to Set up Biosafety Authority Soon

Ghana's Environment, Science and Technology Minister, Sherry Ayitey has announced that the country will soon have a biosafety authority in place to operationalize its biosafety law. Hon. Ayitey spoke at the First Applied Research Conference in Africa (ARCA) in Elmina, Ghana on August 29, 2012.

The Biosafety Authority will oversee the safe development, transfer, handling and use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) for agricultural and industrial activities within Ghana. In recent times, Ghana has shown great commitment to join the league of elite African countries growing biotech crops including its neighbor Burkina Faso, Egypt and South Africa. Six African countries, South Africa, Burkina Faso, Egypt, Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria are conducting field trials on some locally-grown crops including banana, cotton, cowpea, cassava, maize, sweet potato, and sorghum.

Story adapted from http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Science/Need-to-establish-ICT-units-in-basic-and-Senior-High-Schools-Minister/?ci=8&ai=48526#.UEWe0cFmTa0 and http://www.theafricareport.com/index.php/20120831501818006/west-africa/ghana-sets-up-biosafety-authority-to-regulate-gm-foods-501818006.html.