The evolution of media reportage on GMOs in Ghana following approval of first GM crop
| Title: | The evolution of media reportage on GMOs in Ghana following approval of first GM crop |
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| Authors: | Joseph Opoku Gakpo, Dennis Baffour - Awuah |
| Source: | GM Crops & Food, Vol 15, Iss 1, Pp 200-211 (2024) |
| Publisher Information: | Taylor & Francis Group, 2024. |
| Publication Year: | 2024 |
| Collection: | LCC:Plant culture LCC:Genetics |
| Subject Terms: | Food security, GM crops, GMOs, journalists, media coverage, science communication, Plant culture, SB1-1110, Genetics, QH426-470 |
| More Details: | Ghana’s parliament in 2011 passed the Biosafety Act to allow for the application of genetically modified organism (GMO) technology in the country’s agriculture. In a vibrant democracy, there have been extensive media discussions on whether GM crops will benefit or harm citizens. In June 2022, the state GMO regulator, the National Biosafety Authority (NBA), approved the country’s first GM crop (Bt cowpea) for environmental release, declaring the crop does not present an altered environmental risk or a food/feed safety concern. This study identified 3 of the country’s most vibrant digital news outlets and did a content analysis of all GMO stories reported 18 months pre- and post-approval to assess whether the approval changed the focus of GMO issues the media reports on. 91 articles were identified. The results show media reports on the likely impact of GMOs on the country’s food security shot up after the approval. However, media reports on the possible health, sociocultural, and environmental impact of GMOs declined. We observe the media and the public appear interested in deliberations on how the technology could address or worsen food insecurity and urge agricultural biotechnology actors in Ghana to focus on that in their sensitization activities. |
| Document Type: | article |
| File Description: | electronic resource |
| Language: | English |
| ISSN: | 21645698 2164-5701 2164-5698 |
| Relation: | https://doaj.org/toc/2164-5698; https://doaj.org/toc/2164-5701 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/21645698.2024.2365481 |
| Access URL: | https://doaj.org/article/b2fb79432b964d61a776677f7b29105c |
| Accession Number: | edsdoj.b2fb79432b964d61a776677f7b29105c |
| Database: | Directory of Open Access Journals |
| ISSN: | 21645698 21645701 |
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| DOI: | 10.1080/21645698.2024.2365481 |
| Published in: | GM Crops & Food |
| Language: | English |