Mr Alfred Agbesi, Deputy Majority Leader in Parliament appears confused about the nature and contents of the Plant Breeders Bill. He appears either not to have read the bill, not to ... read full comment
ALFRED AGBESI IS A CONFUSED INDIVIDUAL!
Mr Alfred Agbesi, Deputy Majority Leader in Parliament appears confused about the nature and contents of the Plant Breeders Bill. He appears either not to have read the bill, not to have understood it if he read it, or simply be lying (deliberately misleading) his constituents as to the nature of the bill.
He says the bill is not "intended" to bring GMOs into Ghana. That is a puzzling statement considering the bill specifically names seeds that are genetically modified or engineered as protected by the bill (quote language clause #). Regardless of Mr. Agbesi's personal intentions, protecting GMOs is one of the specific intentions of the G8 New Alliance and USAID who are coaching Ghana's parliamentarians on the language and passage of the bill. Their intentions are spelled out in their document The G8 Cooperation to Support the "New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition In Ghana".
As a parliamentarian Mr. Agbesi should know that intentions count for nothing. The specific language of the bill is what becomes law. Personal opinions and intentions are not relevant. The specific language of the Plant Breeders Bill protects GMOs.
The bill also allows foreign plant breeders to take the seeds and germ plasm developed by Ghana's farmers over centuries, modify it in their laboratories, patent it as their own, and sell it back to Ghana's farmers. At the same time the bill prevents farmers from freely saving, using, sharing, or selling the seeds they have developed. They will be forced to buy their own seeds from foreign corporate plant breeders. This may not be Mr. Agbesi's intention, but it is what the language of the bill permits and requires. His personal intentions are not relevant.
Mr. Agbesi is ignoring the other grave danger of the bill. It is a ticking time bomb that can explode and destroy the entire budget of the Country and Government of Ghana at any time. Clause 23 gives the foreign plant breeding corporations, the giant agribusiness trans nationals, sovereign rights above the laws of Ghana. If Ghana passes laws to protect Ghanaian farmers and citizens from the trans national corporate greed and environmentally destructive practices, Ghana could be assessed judgement debts in the millions or even billions of dollars. Even a seemingly harmless law that did not appear relevant could be contested by the MNCs, multi national corporations, and huge judgement debts issued against Ghana. These would have to be paid by taxpayers through the nation's budget, leaving Ghana unable to provide basic services that are the duty and purpose of government.
It is this kind of corporate sovereignty above the laws of nations that is causing many countries, those countries that care about the welfare of their citizens, to turn away from current trade agreements, such as UPOV law on which the Plant Breeders Bill is based.
Mr. Agbesi needs to read the bill more carefully. He needs to carefully consider the actual meaning of the language of the bill. And he needs to be more honest with his constituents.
ALFRED AGBESI IS A CONFUSED INDIVIDUAL!
Mr Alfred Agbesi, Deputy Majority Leader in Parliament appears confused about the nature and contents of the Plant Breeders Bill. He appears either not to have read the bill, not to ...
read full comment