Ghana Consumers Still Wary of GM Food Says Survey

Public attitudes towards biotechnology and genetically modified (GM) food products remain mixed in Ghana, says a survey conducted by researchers from the Food Research Institute and the University of Ghana. About 50 percent of those interviewed from different consumer groups, including those from academia, non-governmental organizations, business community, and government were found not in favor of GM foods.

The group of Wilhemina Quaye who did the survey explained that those opposed see that adoption of the technology will result to farmers losing focus on their traditional ways of farming, and that they have an evident lack of confidence in the government's regulatory system. Quaye and colleagues however noted that about 80 percent of those interviewed showed strong  interest in participating in public debate on GM related issues and that they view biotechnology to have a significant potential to solve problems in agricultural production.

Among the recommendations by the researchers is to increase awareness creation and educational campaign activities at schools, and conduct public debates with extensive media coverage to help the general public make well informed decisions.

The report and survey details, published in the African Journal of Biotechnology, is available at http://www.academicjournals.org/AJB/PDF/pdf2009/4May/Wilhemina%20et%20al.pdf