A Fast Track High Court has ordered the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to halt all the production and sale of Genetically Modified products in the country.
A civil society group, Food Sovereignty Ghana (FSG) dragged the Ministry to court seeking an injunction to prevent the Ministry from commercializing the sale of Genetically Modified (GM) foods in the country.
They claim the Ministry does not have the authority to commercialize such products.
The group in an earlier statement said, “Our case is very simple. According to Section 13 of the Biosafety Act, 2011, Act 831…only the National Biosafety Authority has such a power to authorize the commercial release of GM foods in Ghana.”
The court in its ruling on Tuesday upheld Food Sovereignty’s plea.
The Plant Breeders Bill which includes genetically modified organisms (GMOs) triggered massive debate in the country in 2014 when the bill was tabled before Parliament for consideration.
Various stakeholders and individuals kicked against it insisting that it will undermine and damage the traditional farming practices.
They also argued that approving the bill will serve as unnecessary threat to public health, water resources, air and the natural environment.
