Media urged to influence public perception on agricultural biotechnology

Mr Otunge of OFAB

A staunch biotechnology activist, Daniel Otunge has challenged media practitioners to serve as lead advocators in publicizing issues of biotechnology in a manner that will improve public perception towards the technology. He said considering the role of the media in shaping public opinion on issues of societal interest, the media through positive and unbiased reportage could influence a positive change in the way people think about the new scientific development. Mr Otunge who is the Africa Coordinator of Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology in Africa (OFAB) told Radio Ghana’s Isaac Asare  that majority of the people in sub Saharan Africa including Ghana have varied perception towards biotechnology because some section of the media have sent wrong signal condemning the impact of the biotechnology on food production. He said most people in view of the negative reportage on biotechnology have to a larger extent thwarted the efforts of OFAB quest to introducing biotechnology; its principles and potentials uses in Africa and Ghana as a whole. He said in order to wipe out this perceived agenda, there was the need for knowledge transfer and balanced information to the public on genetically modified foods, which, to many, is regarded as unsafe for human consumption. Mr Otunge however underscored the need for the mass media particularly, science journalist to play a central role in setting the right development agenda for the public and policy makers in the on-going debate on biotech. Strong institutional framework coupled with workable policy legislation, he indicated, were some interventions necessary to advancing the cause of biotechnology in Africa and again called on the media to be agents of change by working closely with scientists and policy makers to define an African agenda for biotechnology. Non-adherence, he noted, would mean that Africa and for that matter Ghana will lag behind in terms of improved food production and would forever be dependent on food aid from countries that have adopted such innovative agricultural technologies. He said Agriculture in Africa is still faced with numerous challenges including poor irrigational facilities, pest attacks on crops, severe draught as well as bad agricultural policies among others. These challenges, he recommended, could be mitigated if the media plays its expected role in promoting better agricultural policies and adoption of new technologies. Focussing on the Ghanaian media , Mr Otunge implore journalists to provide credible biotech dialogue in Ghana that will facilitate improved and timely decision making on biotechnology  now that the country is poised to begin confined field trials of various biotech crops including cowpea, rice and cotton among others. He identified the media as the preferred sources of information on biotech to policy makers, legislators and farmers and called on them to contribute to building an enabling environment for informed and timely decision –making and also help create a better biotech framework to facilitate adoption of the technology.

GBC                                                                        END                                                                                 IA/