Ghana’s National Biosafety Authority (NBA) recently approved the commercialization of 14 new genetically modified products comprising eight maize events and 6 soybean events. This authorization covers the use of approved GM products as food, feed, and/or industrial products.

This decision is a significant step in the country’s effort to safely harness biotechnology opportunities to develop its agricultural sector for local food and nutrition needs and exports. This new milestone in the NBA’s decisions comes after the approval in 2022 of the environmental release of GM cowpea resistant to the Maruca pod borer that destroys more than 50% of the cowpea pods when no control measure is applied. The GM cowpea needs almost no chemical treatment while its conventional counterpart requires at least eight prays in its three-month life cycle.

If safely harnessed, new technologies such as modern biotechnologies may bring a significant change in the development of the African continent in particular in the agricultural and the health sector. AUDA-NEPAD has been closely working with countries in the past decade, through the African Biosafety Network of Expertise (ABNE) programme, to implement functional biosafety regulatory systems that may help safely reap the benefits of agricultural biotechnologies. This effort aligns with the African Union's Agenda 2063 Aspiration 1, aiming for "a prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development," and Goal Number 5, targeting "Modern agriculture for increased productivity and production."