You’ve betrayed us - Peasant farmers to Registrar General's Department

The Food Sovereignty Platform (PSP) has expressed disappointment in the Registrar General’s Department, other governmental agencies for not embarking on a sensitisation exercise to stop the discussion of a proposed bill for farmers in Parliament.

According to the group, Parliament currently is discussing the passage of a Plant Variety Protection Bill 2020 which the group alleged was a rebranding of the previous Plant Breeders Bill they opposed in 2013.

Speaking at a press conference Tuesday, November 3, 2020, the Executive Director of Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana, Victoria Adongo said her team feels disappointed because government has ignored them.

She emphasised that: “This press conference is to highlight our profound displeasure and sense of betrayal by key government institutions regarding the UPOV compliant Plant Breeders’ Bill currently before the legislative house under the guise of Variety Protection Bill awaiting parliamentary approval.”

She continued that “Our disappointment stems from the long history of our objection to the provisions of the Plant Breeders Bill way back in 2013. On Tuesday, November 11, 2014, the then Speaker of Parliament, Hon Edward Doe Adjaho brought the process to a halt for further consultations with all stakeholders before proceeding. This is was to enable the promoters of the bill to engage in wider consultations with stakeholders to ensure that the provisions of the bill are reflective of the collective goals of the populace and is not inimical to the plights of farmers and food security”.

Victoria Adongo averred that government did not consult key stakeholders before presenting the bill to parliament.

She continued that her team, as it stands now have been left in the dark as they do not know the content of the bill being discussed on the floor of parliament.

Victoria Adongo also said the proposed Plant Variety Protection Bill 2020 lacks transparency.

“There were no further consultations since then until the ending of the 6th Parliament. It has therefore been our expectation that under the 7th parliament, the cabinet of the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo would encourage such consultations before presenting the bill to parliament but unfortunately, the process was bedevilled with lack of transparency, entrenched position, secrecy and display of bad faith on the part of the Registrar General’s Department and the relevant bodies assigned to conduct what they called a sensitization exercise, resulting in the sneaking of the unknown bill to parliament for their speedy passage on the blind side of key stakeholders”.

She, therefore, called on Parliament to halt all proceedings until they consult all key stakeholders.