Ghana’s Human Rights Court has dismissed a lawsuit challenging the introduction of genetically modified (GM) products into the country, putting an end to a nine-year court battle between the country’s National Biosafety Authority (NBA) and civil society groups. This landmark decision is a significant victory in Ghana’s efforts to deliver Maruca pod borer (PBR) resistant Bt cowpea to farmers.
The case was filed by Food Sovereignty Ghana, Convention People’s Party, the Vegetarian Association of Ghana, and Goaso Kanyan Akuafo Kuo against the National Biosafety Authority and four others.[ihc-hide-content ihc_mb_type=”block” ihc_mb_who=”unreg” ihc_mb_template=”3″ ]
In the ruling delivered by Justice Barbara Tetteh-Charway on May 24, 2024, the court termed the suit a “red herring,” noting that the plaintiffs could not provide evidence showing how their reliefs directly affected the commercialization of GM cowpea in the country.
The court directed the NBA to continue public sensitization efforts through the media and other publications and collaborate with relevant regulatory authorities to finalize the guidelines for labeling GM products before any commercialization. The NBA was also instructed to publish all relevant data on the importation of GM cowpea on the Biosafety Clearing House and label all GM products to enable the public to make informed choices.
The NBA, working with the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), has already developed guidelines on GMO labeling in Ghana, which involved various stakeholders, including Food Sovereignty Ghana. The FDA is now in the process of educating the public and relevant stakeholders about these guidelines.
In June 2022, the NBA approved the environmental release of PBR Bt cowpea, making it the first GM crop to be approved in the country. This development positioned Ghana as the second country, after Nigeria, to approve the release of a GM cowpea. Recently, the NBA also approved 14 novel GM events for food, feed, and processing, including eight maize and six soybean events.
The NBA has assured Ghanaians that all approvals for the environmental release and importation of GMOs have undergone extensive scientific and socio-economic review, following international best practices. “The National Biosafety Authority remains committed to ensuring the safety of modern biotechnology in Ghana and will continue to engage with stakeholders transparently as mandated by the Biosafety Act, 2011 (Act 831),” the Authority said in a statement.
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