Media practitioners undergo training on GMO

Open Forum on Agriculture Biotechnology (OFAB) Ghana, in collaboration with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), has organised a day’s sensitization programme on Biotechnology and Genetically Modified Foods (GMOs) for some senior journalists in Kumasi.

It was aimed, among others, at equipping the journalists with the requisite knowledge and understanding of biotechnology in farming and agriculture to help effectively educate the general public to adopt the technology to ensure sustainable national food security and improved livelihoods of farmers.

Biotechnology involves the exploitation of the biological processes for industrial and other purposes, particularly the genetic manipulation of micro-organisms for the production of antibiotics, hormones, among others.

Owing to the misconception about the adoption of the GMO technology, OFAB believes that the training would enable journalists to significantly influence policy making on issues of agriculture through the provision of expert knowledge and facts for the consumption of the public.

According to OFAB, one tool, which is currently used to enhance biodiversity, is biotechnology. The technology covers varieties of techniques and applications that allow variation and enhancement in living organisms to provide desirable products for humanity.

The one-day training, held at Golden Tulip Hotel, was also to enable the newsmen to contribute significantly to neutralize the false impression, belief and mystery surrounding the adoption of the GMOs products. It brought together some high-profile media personalities and researchers.