Two farmer unions have called on the government to resolve the myriad of challenges in Ghana’s agricultural sector, rather than relying on GMO seeds as a solution. According to the Peasant Farmers Association Ghana (PFAG) and the Centre for Cli­mate Change and Food Security (CCCFS), the introduction of GMOs in the country would not resolve food security issues. They pointed out that many farmers already produce a significant quantity of food, but face challenges such as lack of ready markets, inadequate storage systems, and poor road infrastruc­ture. The groups were reacting to the launch of the pod borer-re­sistant cowpea, the first GM crop developed in the country and approved for com­mercial cultivation in the Northern Region. Ghanaian Times

 

 

Stakeholders in the food value-chain have advocated urgent formulation of a national policy to preserve indigenous seeds, instead of promoting hybrid ones and GMOs. They recommended such a policy should target all food crops, including neglected local and indigenous crop varieties, known to be more adaptable to local conditions, which had high nutritional value. “This will continue to protect and preserve indigenous seeds rather than promote hybrid seeds and other genetically modified organisms and products”, they stated in a communique issued on the sidelines of an ActionAid Ghana (AAG)-funded seminar. Ghana News Agency

 

 

Bayer, long weighed down by woes related to its glyphosate-based weedkillers, reported an unexpected second-quarter loss Tuesday driven by a poor performance in its agrochemicals division. While group sales rose by 3.1 percent to 11.1 billion euros ($12.1 billion), earnings were down “mainly due to an unfavourable product mix”, the group said. The loss of 34 million euros puts the German giant back in the red after two profitable quarters. The division registered a loss of 229 million euros due to what group CEO Bill Anderson described as a “challenging agricultural market environment”. Bayer has been dogged in recent years by massive litigation issues linked to the Roundup weedkiller, a problem it inherited in the 2018 takeover of US firm Monsanto. Fortune

 

 

A judge has ruled that Vermont’s lawsuit against Monsanto over toxic PCBs can move forward. The company wanted the judge to throw out the lawsuit. But Vermont’s Attorney General says, “We’re headed to trial. We’re building our case and we’re going to hold them accountable.” Dozens of Vermont schools have action-level PCB issues. PCB contamination at North Country Union High School means students may have to stay out of school. WCAX

 

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