Episode 16 | Advocating for Seed Sovereignty and Agroecology in Ghana

In this episode, Edwin Baffour shares how the civil society organization Food Sovereignty Ghana (FSG) advocates for environmental, social, and food justice. Edwin describes the politics around food and seed in Ghana, the infrastructural challenges that farmers face in accessing indigenous seeds, growing food, and getting it to the market, and the pathways towards agroecological farming. Food Sovereignty Ghana has advocated against GMOs and resisted the Plant Breeders Bill and the Plant Variety Protection Bill through litigation cases across courts in Ghana, bringing attention to the genetic modification of staple foods, such as the cowpea. Through education and stakeholder engagement with traditional authorities, farmers, market vendors and the general public, Food Sovereignty Ghana aims to build “people power” towards food system change. Highlighting that agroecology can empower farmers, Edwin says, “If a farmer can use the neem trees on his farm to tackle pests, he doesn’t need to buy an agrochemical from a company. If a farmer can use garlic and pepper to tackle pests on his farm, then he keeps more money to use for his children’s education and their health.” This interview took place in July 2023; it was facilitated by Feeding City Collaborator Dr. Siera Vercillo, who has been conducting participatory action research for food sovereignty with communities and partner organizations in Ghana for over a decade.  

*Update (June 2024) -- Since the time of the interview, cases have moved through the courts. Edwin has shared with Feeding City Lab the following updates on the status of the proceedings: "Last year in 2023 the Supreme Court of Ghana unanimously dismissed a case presented by FSG which sought to challenge the constitutionality of the Plant Variety Protection Act which was passed into law in 2021. FSG will be appealing this decision. In May of 2024 the Human Rights High Court also dismissed a case that FSG commenced in 2017 to halt the commercialization of a genetically modified cowpea. Though this decision will also be appealed, the court ruled that all GMO food and feed must be labelled in Ghana." 

 

To learn more about the Voices from the Food Frontlines, Sustainable Foodways podcast series, visit the Feeding City Lab at https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/projects/feedingcity/sustainable-foodways/.

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