At a biotechnology and biosafety sensitization workshop in Techiman, Central Ghana, farm leaders challenged their government and scientists to better educate farmers and stakeholders about the safety of geneticially-modified crops, with the hopes of easing fears._x000D_
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The workshop, organized by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), introduced farmers to the basics of genetic engineering and shared information about the national, regional and global status of biotechnology and biosafety._x000D_
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To help build participating farmers’ confidence in talking about biotechnology and biosafety issues, they were trained in the principles of science communication and equipped with knowledge on where to look for credible information._x000D_
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Farm leaders shared that if workshops such as this one were organized at the grassroots level, farmers“would not be holding placards and demonstrating over a technology that could possibly help them.”_x000D_
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At the end of the workshop, the presidents of four key farm organizations represented at the forum signed a communiqué calling on the government to facilitate adoption of GM crops._x000D_
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The communiqué also asked scientists to strengthen their relationship with farmers, as well as encouraged government to give science and technology “space to improve the quality, accessibility, affordability and sustainability of food production.” Source: ISAAA.
