Ghana is ready for environmental release of PBR cowpea, scientists say
Following the commercial release of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), some 24 years ago, more countries worldwide are cultivating genetically modified (GM) crops including maize, soybeans, cotton, canola and sugar beet.
Developing nations including India, Pakistan, Paraguay, Brazil, Bolivia, Sudan, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Vietnam, Philippines, Honduras and Bangladesh are said to be accounting for 53% of the world’s acreage in GM crops. Last December, Nigeria became the latest country to join the list by approving the commercial release of insect-resistant cowpea.
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Experts have predicted that Ghana, Egypt and Kenya could be the next countries to join the train of GM crop producing countries. For instance, a Plant Biotechnologist and former Director of the Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute (BNARI) of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), Professor Kenneth Ellis Danso, strongly believes Ghana is ready for such a move.
His conviction is based on the fact that in Ghana a lot of biotechnology related research work has been done. Currently, some scientists at the Savannah Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) and the Crop Research Institute (CRI), both of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) are conducting confined field trials (CFTs) in biotechnology cowpea and rice. They are respectively known as the Pod Borer Resistant (PBR) Cowpea and NEWEST (nitrogen-use efficiency, water-use efficiency and salt tolerance) Rice.
“So, what is now left, is to move the technology to the field,” the former BNARI Boss stated in an interview, adding, “indeed, Ghana should have adopted the biotechnology by now to maximise its associated benefits.” Because GM crops have been modified to serve purposes such as resisting insects or thriving with little water, they have proved to guarantee higher yields and therefore good income.
Prof. Danso’s call for Ghana to adopt biotechnology comes at a time of general concern about the on-going decline in agriculture productivity.
The on-going scenario
There is no doubt that agriculture remains a key sector of Ghana’s economy and a major foreign exchange earner. It is considered the backbone of Ghana’s economy. This is probably due to the huge foreign exchange the country gets from the sector. It contributes about 35% to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), employs 55% of the population on a formal and informal basis, and contributes about 45% of all export earnings. The sector also employs majority of Ghana’s rural folks.
The important role agriculture plays in the country’s economy is confirmed by experts like World Bank’s Country Director for Ghana, Mr Henry Kerali, who sees “agriculture as an important contributor to Ghana’s export earnings, and a major source of inputs for the manufacturing sector.”
Addressing the Third Economic Update on Agriculture as an Engine of Growth and Job Creation in Ghana which took place in Accra on March 5, 2018, he noted that “agriculture is also a major source of income for majority of the population. Mr. Kerali however expressed concern about the decline in agricultural growth saying, “We have seen a recent reduction in growth in agriculture, which needs to be reversed through appropriate policies and increased investments.”
Ghanaian farmers trace this declining trend to increasing incidence of pests, diseases and low crop yields, which is negatively impacted on their incomes.
Attesting to this, Opanyin Kobena Sam, 58, a smallholder farmer of Ekumfi Bogyano in the Central Region says bumper harvests from his toils are now a thing of the past. “My farmland which used to give me many bags of maize, pepper, garden eggs, and huge bunches of plantains now barely yields enough to feed my household, let alone extra for me to sell.”
He believes the poor harvest he is now getting from his farms is because his land is damaged and is no longer fertile, and this is very frustrated. “That is why I apply lots of fertilizers and yet there is still no improvement in the yields.”
The truth is Opanyin Sam as well as other small holder farmers are puzzled about why they are experiencing diminishing returns on the their investments and labour. They are certain something is not right, but cannot pinpoint exactly what it is that is wrong. As a remedy, Opanyin Sam decided to cultivate maize, in place of the cassava that was doing well. Still, he had no luck and has since been contemplating abandoning farming altogether.
Could it be the changing climate characterized by irregular rainfall and severe heat that is rendering farming unprofitable for farmers, nowadays? Obviously, a problem that cannot be resolved by applying fertilizers.
Climate change and farming
Generally, in this part of the world, agriculture and farming in particular, is highly dependent on climatic conditions, so the sector is easily shocked by any slight changes. For instance, too little, too much, too late or too early rains and a farmer is in serious trouble. Sown seeds will not germinate, germinated ones will dry up or be swept away by flood waters, fruition becomes a problem and harvests are disrupted.
It is obvious that in this country, farmers are at the mercy of the weather. But this seemingly farmer-problem is actually a nationwide issue. This is because climate change can disrupt food availability, reduce access to food and affect food quality for all and sundry. While, farmers are discerning enough to realise that all is not well, the issue has been how best to adapt to the on-going climatic changes to make the most of the unfamiliar situation.
A Senior Research Scientist with CSIR’s Science Technology Policy and Research Institute (CSIR STEPRI), and Dr. Richard Ampadu-Ameyaw, explained the relationship between climate change and crop production. “…the changing climate is coming with a lot of things, including diseases, insects and pests, and it is science that will address related issues,” he said.
Dr. Richard Ampadu-Ameyaw, who is also the National Coordinator of the Ghana Chapter of the Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB), called for the development of crops that can withstand the harsh climate conditions. "The only way we can go ahead of the negative impact of climate change, particularly on our crops, is to look at a way of developing crops such that they can withstand those adverse conditions."
The proposed way forward
Proponents of biotechnology strongly advocate its application in agriculture to guarantee returns on investments, despite the current challenges, the weather presents. The technology is a proven scientific tool that addresses some of farmers’ most bothersome problems like inadequate water, insufficient soil nutrients and pests or insect invasions.
This implies that whereas, conventional crops will be easily destroyed in a state of inadequate water, little soil nutrients and pests invasion, a crop that has been genetically engineered (GE) or genetically modified (GM) to withstand the impacts of these challenges, will thrive.
Before, they are release, GM crops are subjected to rigorous scientific processes including lengthy laboratory tests, confined field trials and environmental releases or famer field trials and then onward to commercial releases, once they are certified by biosafety inspectors and approved by the Board of the National Biosafety Authority (NBA).
As part of the due scientific process, scientists working on the PBR Cowpea and NEWEST Rice applied to the National Biosafety Committee (NBC), for permit to undertake the confined field trials. At that time, the NBC was mandated to grant permits for such activities and ensure that applicants adhere to biosafety requirements. This responsibility is now handled by the National Biosafety Authority (NBA), established by the Biosafety Act, 2011 (Act 831).
Currently, the confined field trials for the PBR cowpea has gone through all the various stages and is ready for environmental release – the stage where farmers will be allowed to cultivate on their farms. And Prof. Danso is certain that this next stage for the PBR Cowpea in Ghana is necessary at this time, “because it is the only way farmers in this country can adopt the technology…”
He stressed that with the biosafety regulatory system now in place, the country is in the position to regulate GM foods and that “it is only when people see what is on the farmers’ field that they would embrace the technology.”
A Research Scientist at the Biotechnology and Nuclear Agricultural Research Institute, Daniel Osei Ofosu, assured Ghanaians of the safety of the technology.
Speaking to the issue in an interview, he stated: “the GM technology ensures safety to the environment and agriculture, while its products will enable farmer maximize both benefits and risks.”
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