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The Deputy Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment,
Abraham Dwuma Odoom has said biotechnology is an important tool in the fight
to feed growing populations. New biotechnology techniques has the potential
to deliver improved food quality and the environment also stood to benefit
through agronomically enhanced crops, April 2007.

He was speaking at the 3rd ECOWAS ministerial conference on biotechnology
held in Accra this week. It was on the theme of ?Adoption of 2006-2010
Action Plans for the meeting of the challenges of biotechnology and
bio-safety?.

Commenting on some of the advantages of biotechnology Dwumo Odoom said the
enhanced food and feed quality would be linked to diseases prevention, and
would result in the reduced use of chemical pesticides, fertilizers and
drugs, leading to more sustainable agricultural practices and poverty
alleviation.

Advances in biotechnology would also result in major health care benefits,
allowing for the production of cheaper, safer drugs in large quantities.

Despite these clear advantages, he said, ?the subject of biotechnology and
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in particular, has raised widespread
public concern about the possible impact on human health and the
environment?.

He said the sensitivity of these issues highlights the need for responsible
policies within the sub-region.

Dwumo Odoom said the research in modern agriculture biotechnology is
on-going in various research institutions universities. The tools used,
ranged from tissue culture where clean copies or clones of planting material
are produced to the use of more advanced molecular tools such as DNA
characterization and diagnostics.

He said tissue culture is currently in use in the pineapple industry for the
production of the MD2 pineapple suckers to meet up-market export demand
characteristics for such product.

Dwumo Odoom said ?training on the implementation of a regulatory framework
in anticipation of the Ghana bio-safety law, yet to be passed has been given
to the regulatory framework officials and scientists by USAID-SPONSORED
program on Bio-safety System.

He said Ghana is working hard to ensure that the necessary legal framework
to facilitate research and the general use of genetically modified organisms
(GMOs) is in place by the end of the year. This is towards the maintenance
of the integrity of the green environment.

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