OFAB and Modern Biotechnology in Ghana

OFAB AND MODERN BIOTECHNOLOGY
IN GHANA
BY
DR. MARGARET OTTAH ATIKPO
CSIR-FRI, ACCRA
WHAT IS BIOTECHNOLOGY ?
Use of scientific methods to produce genetically
modified food crops that are more pest, disease
and drought resistant and with short maturity
periods.
Biotechnology in Ghana
Biosafety Law passed in December, 2011
Leading Institutions: CSIR, UG-Legon,
KNUST, BNARI, CRIG
R & D: Plant pathology, molecular breeding,
conventional breeding, tissue culture
Awareness Creation: NBC, FARA, SABIMA,
MEST
WHAT IS BIOTECHNOLOGY (BIOTECH)?
• Definitions:
• Bios (Greek) meaning life
• Technology – (Greek - technología);
meaning study of an art, skill or craft
‒ “Any technological application that uses
biological systems, living organisms or
derivatives thereof, to make or modify
products or processes for specific uses”
(CBD).
4
BIOTECHNOLOGY
– A range of different molecular technologies such as gene
manipulation, gene transfer, DNA typing and cloning of
plants and animals (FAO)
•
General definition:
– A laboratory technique used by scientists to change the DNA
of living organisms.
OLD AND MODERN BIOTECHNOLOGY
Old technology has been around for many years
and applied in the following:
– Industry - Beer brewing, cheese making,
employing the use of bacteria and yeast as well as
biological substances like enzymes. (Louis Pasteur)
{pito and kenkey production in Ghana}
– Agriculture – crossing of plants/animals to
generate improved varieties. (Gregor Mendel)
– Medicine – vaccinations e.g. smallpox (Edward
Jenner).
APPLICATION OF MODERN
BIOTECH
•Medicine (Red Biotech) – Vaccines, Hormones
e.g. insulin for diabetes.
• Industry (White/Grey Biotech) – Cleaning up
of oil spills, conversion of organic waste.
• Agriculture (Green Biotech) – Improved
varieties; major crops - maize, soya bean,
cotton.
( The Problem Area? )
Conventional Practices to Control the Challenges
Weeds - Tillage, hand weeding, herbicides (prefar,
glyphosate, glufosinate)
Pests/Diseases – Pesticides (organophosphates)
Yield - Increase in acreage
- Selection of animals/plants with good trait for
multiplication
(Unknown combination of genes. RISK ?, Very long time to
achieve desired results, Products accepted without any risk
assessment.)
- Increase in planting material (tissue
culture)
CHALLENGES FACING
FARMERS
Weeds
Pest and Diseases
Spoilage due to over-ripening/ transportation or marketing
Poor quality soils/ access to fertilizer/ credit/good health
Inadequate irrigation
Absence of appropriate technology
Poor infrastructure
Lack of mechanization
these could be addressed using biotechnology
CHALLENGES
Weeds - Tillage, hand weeding, herbicides (prefar,
glyphosate, glufosinate)
Pests/Diseases – Pesticides (organophosphates)
Yield - Increase in acreage
- Selection of animals/plants with good trait for
multiplication
(Unknown combination of genes. RISK ?, Very long time to
achieve desired results, Products accepted without any risk
assessment.)
- Increase in planting material (tissue
culture)
Tissue culture
– Parts of an adult plant cut into little pieces
– Treated to kill any fungi or bacteria living on
them
– Pieces put into jelly-like substance (agar)
containing plant food
– Shoots grow from the plant pieces and moved
to new plant food where roots and leaves grow
– Planted in covered pots to get stronger and
transferred to soil after a few weeks.
Examples: pineapple, banana, plantain
The Use of Modern Biotechnology to Control the Challenges
Selection of useful genes for;
Drought and herbicide tolerance
Insect resistance (maize, cotton)
Improvement in nutritional quality (golden rice)
Delayed ripening (tomatoes, melons, papaya)
HOW ARE THESE ACHIEVED?
DNA
The genetic material and the code for life
• Basic Building Blocks – Deoxyribonucleotides
Adenine (A)
Guanine (G)
Cytosine (C)
Thymine (T)
• Universal for all living organisms – bacteria, man, insects and plants
• Entire DNA content of an organism is its GENOME
• DNA divided into sequences known as genes
• One gene, one protein (Central Dogma)
The diversity in life is due to the differences in genomes
GENOME SIZES OF DIFFERENT ORGANISMS
Species
Number of
Chromoso
mes
Number
of Genes
Human
46
30,000
3,300
Mouse
40
30,000
2,500
Chicken
78
~23,000
1,000
Fruit
Fly
8
~14,000
165
Corn
20
~59,000
2,500
Rice
24
45-56,000
441
3,200
5
E. coli
(Bact.)
Size of Genome
(million base
pairs)
INFORMATION FLOW IN A CELL
STEPS IN GENETIC ENGINEERING
•
•
•
•
•
Isolation of the genes of interest
Insertion of the genes into a transfer vector
Transfer of the vector to the organism to be modified
Transformation of the cells of the organism
Selection of the genetically modified organism
(GMO) from those that have not been successfully
modified
Tools In Molecular Cloning
•Restriction enzymes – Molecular Scissors
•
Vectors
•
DNA Ligase
•
Detection of cloned gene in vector
•
Sequencing
•
PCR amplification
CLONING PROTOCOL
Mode of Digestion
Cloning Strategy
Conventional Breeding vs. Modern Biotech
Conventional Breeding
Modern Biotechnology
• Limited to exchanges between the
same or closely related species
• Direct transfer of one or just few genes,
between either closely or unrelated
organisms
• Unknown combination of genes from
several crosses generated
• Only the desired trait transferred
• Undesirable gene can be transferred
along with desirable genes
• Long time to achieve desired results
• Results achieved in a shorter time
compared to conventional breeding
Herbicides tolerance (Ht) Technology
Why is this important?
Weeds compete with crops for:
Water
Nutrients
Sunlight
Space
Also harbour insects and disease pests and contaminate
harvest
If left uncontrolled will reduce crop yield considerably
Herbicides Tolerance (Ht) Technology Cont’d
Weeds also harbour
• Insects and disease pests
• Clog irrigation and drainage systems
• Undermine crop quality- deposit weed seeds into crop
harvests
If left uncontrolled can reduce crop yields
considerably.
Advantages of Herbicide Tolerant Plants
•
•
•
•
•
Vital tool for fighting weeds
Reduced number of spray in a season
Reduced fuel use (decreased carbon emissions)
Environmentally friendly
Ability to use no till systems
Bt Insect Resistance Technology
•
•
cotton
Bt – Bacillus thuringiensis
produces toxins (proteins) which kill
bollworm and corn borers
Delayed Ripening Technology
Application in
• Tomatoes – US, Canada, Mexico
• Melons
• Papaya – South East Asia
• Improvement in quality of the food as
i. shelf-life is extended,
ii. Losses minimized for both the farmer and
consumer
Nutritional Quality Enhancement (Golden Rice)
•Vitamin A deficiency - cause of
blindness in children
•Micronutrient fortification of
common cereals by genetic
engineering
•Insertion of 3 foreign genes for
critical enzymes for ß-carotene
biosynthesis in rice plant.
cls.casa.colostate.edu
BENEFITS OF GM CROPS
•Higher yield – weeds and pests controlled
•
Reduced farm costs as a result of decrease in hiring of
farm
hands, purchase and application of insecticides thus resulting in increased
profits.
•
Increased health benefits for farmers.
•
Production of crops with increased nutritional properties e.g. Vit.
A fortification.
•
Production of drought-resistant crops (Abiotic stress).
PERCEIVED RISKS/THREATS
•Potential of introducing allergens and other anti-nutrients into food.
•Transgenes may escape into wild relatives.
•Pests may evolve resistance to toxins produced by GM crops.
•Toxins may affect other non-target organisms thereby affecting the ecosystem.
•Development of ‘super weeds’ as plants become resistant to herbicides.
•Socio-economic/cultural/ethical factors –:
i) dependence on multi-national seed companies
ii) farmers with small holdings pushed out of business
GM-GROWING COUNTRIES
Countries
USA
BRAZIL
cotton
Acreage
Crops
(million ha)
64.0
maize, soybean, cotton
21.4
maize, soybean,
ARGENTINA 21.3
INDIA
CHINA
soybean, cotton
8.4
3.7
cotton
cotton, tomato, papaya
S. AFRICA
2.1
maize, soybean, cotton
B. FASO
0.1
cotton
EGYPT
<0.1
maize
Other Sub-Saharan African countries currently
working on GM crops:
Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda
WHY REGULATE GM CROPS?
•
•
•
•
Assures food/ environment safety.
Necessary for technology development.
Facilitates technology transfer.
Needed to address public perception and
concerns.
• A requirement of Cartagena Protocol.
THE CARTAGENA PROTOCOL
Adopted - 29th Jan. 2000; Entered into force - 11th Sep. 2003;
Acceded by Ghana – 30th May, 2003.
• Addresses the safe transfer, handling and use of living
modified organisms (LMOs) that may affect biodiversity,
human health and environment.
• Focuses on transboundary movements of LMOs.
• Allows sovereign states independence in accepting
agricultural products of LMOs.
• Decisions communicated through Biosafety Clearing House.
Guidelines for National Biosafety Framework required by
member countries under this protocol
AFRICAN COUNTRIES THAT HAVE RATIFIED/ACCEDED TO THE
CARTAGENA PROTOCOL (37 COUNTRIES)
Algeria, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Democratic
Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana,
Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Madagascar, Mali,
Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda,
Senegal, Seychelles, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda,
United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe
OTHER REGIONS
Asia & Pacific
33 countries
Central & Eastern Europe
19 countries
Latin America & Caribbean
23 countries
Western Europe & Others
20 countries
BIOSAFETY FRAMEWORK FOR GHANA
• National biosafety committee
• Framework for administrative guidelines,
regulatory systems, risk assessment and
management
• Mechanisms for public participation and
information
• Bill presented to Parliament
THE BIOSAFETY REFERENCES (1)
WORLD POPULATION DISTRIBUTION BY REGION,1800-2050
Source: United Nations Population Division, Briefing Packet,
1998 Revision of World Population Prospects.
SUB-SAHARAN
AFRICA
• 200 Million Chronically
Undernourished.
• 40 Million Children Chronically
Underweight
• 50 Million Mostly Children
Suffer From Vit. A Deficiency
• 65 % of Women of Childbearing
Age Anaemic
CAUSES
• Drought
• Floods
• Pests & Diseases
• Poverty
• Civil Wars & Displacement
MILLENIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS (MDGs)
(Reducing Hunger, Poverty & Diseases by 50% by 2015)
GOAL 1.
Eradicate extreme hunger & poverty.
GOAL 2.
Achieve universal primary education.
GOAL 3.
Promote gender equality & empower women
GOAL 4.
Reduce child mortality
GOAL 5.
Improve maternal health
GOAL 6.
Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
GOAL 7.
Ensure environmental sustainability
GOAL 8.
Develop a global partnership for development
POTENTIAL FOR USE OF GM TECHNOLOGY IN GHANA
CHECK LIST
i.Crops discussed – maize, soya bean, rice, tomatoes
ii.Indigenous crops – yam, plantain, cassava
iii.Human capacity
iv.Signatory to Cartegena protocol
v.Biosafety framework in place
vi.Government assent, Biosafety Act 2011, Act 831
vii.Ministries and Government Agencies
viii.Goodwill of practising partners
ix.Population growth/ Health of people/MDGs
Biotechnology in Ghana
• Three (3) trials on GMO’s in Ghana
-Two (2) in Kumasi: (a). Rice (b). Sweet potato
(SABIMA funded)
-One (1) in CSIR-SARI: Bt Cowpea (AATF funded)
WHAT IS OFAB?
• OPEN FORUM ON AGRICULTURAL
BIOTECHNOLOGY
-6 Chapters: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria,
Ghana, Burkina Faso
OFAB – Ghana Chapter
Launched on the 18th of August, 2011, at the
Mensvic Grand Hotel, Accra by the Hon.
Minister, MEST
Dignitaries and representatives from AATF,
OFAB Nigeria, ABNE, Scientific and Tertiary
Educational Institutions in Ghana, Civil
Society, Media
PC Members (11): Drawn from research
institutions, universities, policy makers
OFAB – Ghana Chapter
Overview of OFAB in Ghana
 OFAB - Ghana is a platform that brings together stakeholders in
Biotechnology to interact i.e. scientists, journalists, farmers, civil
society, policy-makers, consumers.
Vision
 To promote and sustain a well informed and interactive society
capable of making informed decisions regarding research,
development, regulation and commercialization of agricultural
biotechnology products
Mission statement
 OFAB Ghana’s mission is to facilitate and promote dialogue and
inter-national collaboration among stakeholders on agricultural
biotechnology through constructive discourse and networking.
Mitigation by OFAB
• Media and Consumer Associations have better understanding of
GMOs
• Dissemination of right information on biotechnology improved
• Outreach programme/visits to regions: wider
audience/stakeholders
• Bi-annual meeting – Mega OFAB Meetings
• Study tours: synergy with SABIMA and ABNE
• Programmes with sister OFAB–Chapters
• Stakeholders Mapping: Follow up to see what selected
communities understand and what they have passed on to others.
• Capacity Building
• Flyers, Adverts on biotech, illustrations by Cartoons, radio
programmes, Newsletter.
• Enhancing Media Coverage: training in biotechnology and OFAB
activities.
OFAB Program Activities
• Activities Include
Monthly sessions to address issues on GMO’s, Biosafety
and Biotechnology
Outreach to stakeholders including farmers, civil society,
faith institutions, traditional rulers, media personnel and
the general public
Liaise with scientific and policy based institutions in
awareness creation
Some Presentation Topics
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Biotechnology and biosafety in Ghana’s
development
Biotechnology: its principles and potential uses in
Ghana
Biotechnology; A tool for increased productivity of
cowpea in Ghana
Agricultural biotechnology and biosafety regime in
Ghana
Biotechnology: the Ghanaian farmers’ perception
and perspective
The impact of biotechnology on food production
Safe use of biotechnology in Ghana
Achievements
Inter-agency interaction
Partnerships with sister
organizations (SABIMA
policy statement)
Awareness creation for
farmers & media
Successful launch of
Chapter
OFAB Ghana Chapter
Newsletter
Challenges & Lessons Learned
Some sessions in
local languages
Lack of scientific
background of
participants
Non-existent
educational
materials in local
dialect
Development of
key scientific
words and
literature in local
languages
Communication
Concerns
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Correct information about biotechnology to be disseminated
Trials to be open and discussed
Safe Products to be released
Crops and animals multiplied to alleviate hunger eg. maize, soya
bean, cotton, tomato, papaya; and sheep, cattle, poultry
Improved health delivery in drugs and vaccine production e.g. small
pox; and also insulin for diabetes
Improved industrial applications eg Cleaning up of oil spills,
conversion of organic waste
Increase in wealth of farmers
Economic growth of Ghana
What OFAB-Ghana expects of the Media
Dissemination of OFAB activities through print and electronic media
Regional News of Thursday, 3 May 2012
Source: GNA
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/regi
onal/artikel.php?ID=237798
Public awareness critical for modern agricultural
biotechnology
Seeing is believing!
Mouldy tomatoes
Flavr-Savr Tomatoes (better shelf life, maintain it’s
physical appearance and taste)
Biotech crops grown commercially
Seeing is believing!
maize
Golden rice
Castor beans for jet engine
and shampoo
Biofortified soya beans
Sugar beet/beet root
Cotton
Jatropha for biofuel
Bio cassava enriched with
vitamins, protein and minerals
Papaya
Canola for oil
Cow engineered to produce non-allergenic milk
OFAB-Ghana Chapter in the Central region
Thank You