Adapting biotechnology is a must - Scott

Accra, March 15, GNA - Mr George Scott, Chief Director of the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, on Tuesday said adapting to the use of biotechnology in Ghana and other developing countries 93is a must".

He however cautioned that care must be taken in formulating laws on biotechnology and bio-safety issues since there were risk elements to using biotechnology in food production.

"Ghana is yet to pass a law on bio-safety and biotechnology, the draft law is before parliament," Mr Scott said at the opening of a four-day workshop organized by the Ministry with support from the Economic Commu nity of West African States (ECOWAS) to analyze a draft document.

The document drafted by ECOWAS is to ensure that all 16 member countries apply similar laws on biotechnology and bio-safety issues. Biotechnology involves the use of genes, cells and tissues to manufacture substances including food.

Mr Scott said Ghana did not have all the needed capacity to manage modern biotechnology as in the developed countries hence the need to critically examine the law to suits the country. He said modern biotechnology complemented traditional technologies in effectively addressing food security problems while increasing farmers' income.

"Biotechnology has a role to play in forest regeneration through the supply of large quantities of planting materials," he said and added that it also offered the opportunity for the development and application of rhizobia for nitrogen fixation and mycorriza fungus for enhanced phosphorous availability.

Mr Bougonou Djeri-Alassan, Head of Policies and Regulation of Environment Directorate at the ECOWAS Commission, said the Commission wanted member-countries to be involved in drafting laws that suited their countries and at the same time to be similar to all countries. He said ECOWAS was involved because of the issue of free movement of people and goods and the fact that one country's Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) could easily cross borders to another country.