ABSTRACT
TOPIC: THE GENE TECHNOLOGY AND AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT IN GHANA: PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES.
SPEAKER: PROF. K. E. DANSO (DIRECTOR – BNARI).
The adoption of the Gene technology in crop improvement programme has resulted in tremendous crop yield and huge economic returns in many countries. The technology thus ensures food security, increases nutritional quality as well as sustainable environmental management in the midst of changing climate and limited land availability. Although the basis of the technology does not far deviate from Mendellian genetics and hence other known breeding techniques, critics have raised concerns on the adoption of the technology especially in the developing countries. There are arguments that food produced through the gene technology may pose health hazards, introduce super weeds and erode subsistence farmers of their traditional seeds. This presentation will discuss the genetic basis of the technology and the role of Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute (BNARI) in the development of the technology in Ghana. The public concerns on the gene technology and the regulatory role of biosafety to ensure that food produced via the technology is safe for both human health and the environment.
