By: Daily Graphic / Ghana | Wednesday, 08 January 2014 08:13 |

The Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) has warned of detrimental consequences on Ghana's non-traditional exports (NTEs) should the country adopt genetically modified organisms (GMOs) into crops grown locally.

GM foods or GMOs are most commonly used to refer to crop plants created for human or animal consumption using the latest molecular biology techniques.

The authority said there were concerns over the health and risk concerns about GMOs across Europe where the bulk of the country's NTEs went and the United States, which was affecting its sales and pushing consumer preference to non-GMO foods.

"The potential economic harm would be incalculable if Ghana were to be labelled a GMO haven exporting GM crops to the world," the Chief Executive Officer of the GEPA, Mr Gideon Qaurcoo, said this in a statement made available to the Daily Graphic.

The release explained that in view of the overwhelming evidence of the EU and Western world's attitude to GM foods, it would be detrimental for Ghana to introduce the organism into its crops as all products stood the risk of being rejected and thereby reducing the percentage of exports to the region.

The GEPA has been at the forefront of promoting and developing the country's non-traditional exports, including processed and semi-processed agricultural products, handicrafts and services.

Through its efforts, earnings from NTE increased from US$1.164 billion in 2007 to US$2.364 billion in 2012, with a target to reach US$5 billion in 2017.

In 2012, 44.55 per cent of Ghana's non-traditional products were exported to the European Union and other developed countries and the GEPA hopes to increase this percentage in order to achieve the US$5 billion target set by the government for 2017.

The GMO debate

The GEPA referred to recent debates in the country about adopting genetically modified organisms into crops produced in Ghana, where pro-GMO promoters believed the biotech could increase pest resistance and decrease crop losses to ensure adequate food supply to the growing world population.

However, this assertion, has been disputed by environmentalists, public interest groups, professional associations and religious organisations that have raised concerns about GM foods and criticised the proponents for pursuing profit without concern for potential hazards.

The GEPA statement maintained that although governments had not been fully responsive to the mounting evidence of harm from GMOs, consumers were reacting in greater numbers, saying "the impact can be significant and world-changing."

Background

In Europe, after the media publicised significant health risks of GMOs in early 1999, a tipping point of consumer rejection forced the food companies to commit to remove GM ingredients from that continent.

Now consumer rejection in the U.S. appears to be setting the stage for the removal of GMOs in that country as well. Consumer concerns over GMO health risks has driven unprecedented demand for non-GMO products.

An executive at the national food store chain, Whole Foods, said when a product became verified as non-GMO, sales increased between 15-30 per cent.

The GEPA did not understand why sales of non-GMO labelled products in the United States increased more than any other health and wellness category in 2012, according to the Nielsen Health and Wellness Claims Performance Report, while Ghana would still want to pursue a course to adopt the technology.

SOURCE: Export Promotion fears GMOs may reduce exports - Graphic.com.gh http://graphic.com.gh/business/business-news/15366-export-promotion-fears-gmos-may-reduce-exports.html [1]