By Ayuure Kapini Atafori
Food Sovereignty Ghana (FSG), a civil society organization (CSO) which champions food self-sufficiency, security and safety, and advocates for good environmental governance, has won a victory in the law courts for Ghanaians in its near-decade struggle to ensure that they do not harm themselves by consuming Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).
Though the Human Rights Division of the High Court in Accra dismissed the FSG’s suit seeking to stop the NBA from commercializing and spreading GMOs in Ghana, the presiding judge, Justice Barbara Tetteh Charwey, ordered the NBA to put labels on all GMOs products on the market for buyers to make informed choices. The court also directed the NBA to, with immediate effect, publish detailed information on all GMOs, including imported products, to enable consumers identify them in order to buy or reject the GMOs.
In a statement immediately after the court order on 24th May, 2024, Ras Aswad Nkrabeah, a leading member of FSG, said: “Today is a victorious day for Food Sovereignty Ghana (FSG) and our Allies. After nine years in court, although the judge dismissed our case against the commercial release of the GM Cowpea as part of her ruling she has directed that all foods and feed containing GMO must be labeled to afford Ghanaians the right to make informed decisions.”
Ras Nkrabeah noted: “That means we should have labeling even in the markets where beans are sold as well as supermarkets. She also recognized and accepted that more education was needed on GMO beyond what the National Biosafety Authority (NBA) had done. FSG and our Allies must increase our grassroots engagement and ensure Ghanaians can choose weather or not to patronize food that contains GM ingredients. That means no GMO cowpeas in Waakye,Tubaani, Koose or Red Red if you do not wish to eat GMO!”
He stated that the directive by the court is being hailed by all responsible Ghanaians since they know the harmful effects of GMOs on their health. He paid tribute to the Founder of FSG, Comrade Ali Masmadi Jehu-Appiah, for his patriotism, wisdom, courage, and vision to form the CSO.
It would be recalled that FSG sued the government of Ghana over the commercialization of genetically modified (GM) Bt cowpeas and GM rice at the Supreme Court on 9th July, 2019, but lost the case.
On 17th February, 2015, FSG sued the National Biosafety Committee (NBC) and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture but counsel for the defendants requested the National Biosafety Authority and the Attorney-General’s Department should be joined in the suit as co-defendants. FSG claimed that the Biosafety Act, 2011, Act 831, and the Legislative Instrument 1887, which established the NBC, have not been respected as regards the authorization of confined field trials and the conditions for a commercial release of GM crops. On the day of suit, the NBA was hurriedly inaugurated.
On 4th May, 2015, the Human Rights Division of the Accra Fast Track Court heard an interim injunction on the commercial release of
Bt cowpea and GM rice.
