Social Media, a powerful tool for dispelling misconceptions surrounding GMOs

Since social media has revolutionalised our way of communicating, access to information and how ideas are shared as compared to the past has changed completely. In today’s digital age, we cannot underestimate the power of promoting a good cause on the internet via social media handles such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tik tok and You tube.

With features such as instant sharing, global reach, and diverse perspectives, social media platforms have become vehicles for sharing messages and promoting various agendas.

With social media’s immense influence and ability to connect millions of people, using it as a tool to increase awareness about Genetically Modified Foods and also to dispel the misconceptions about Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) would be a move in the right direction.

Social media interactions expose people to diverse perspectives and challenge their preconceived notions, leading to a greater understanding and recognition of different viewpoints, this open exchange of ideas on social media can tremendously help in dispelling misconceptions about issues, including GMOs.

Lots of negative reactions arose after Ghana approved its first GMO food known as the Bt Cowpea. Even before the approval, many individuals and groups such as the Food Security of Ghana (FSG) in May 2020 called on the government of Ghana to permanently ban GMOs and ensure it never gets introduced into the country’s food chain. According to FSG’s communications’ director, Mr Edwin Kweku Andoh, the organics of GMO had very harmful effects on humans, animals and farm lands and called on the public to reject it.

Considering how fast negative information travels, the message of GMOs supposed danger quickly went viral and has since put some fear in some members of the public who keep spreading the wrong message.

Some of the misconceptions about GMOs include the belief that consuming such foods could cause cancer and also misconceptions that farmers cannot save GMO seeds.

It is therefore important for all Ghanaians and organisations who mean well to leverage social media to increase awareness about the safety of GMOs. Due to the high number of young people on social media, educating the masses on GMO and Agricbiotechnology in general, will also contribute to the promotion of agriculture literacy in the country and Africa at large.

Promoting GMO education via Vlogs and films

Vlogs, the short terms for video blogs are online video content created and shared by individuals or groups to document their experiences, opinions or share information with their audience on the internet. With the advent of social media platforms and video sharing websites, vlogs have become easily accessible to people using the internet, therefore using this opportunity to share indepth factual knowledge about GMOs as often as possible, Agriculture enthusiasts, agronomists and any other person or group interested in educating the public on Genetically Modified crops will go a long way in changing the negative mindsets of people about GMO, which came about as a result of wrong messages being put across by some conspiracy theorists kicking against GMO. Ghana has around 8.8 million social media users, a number expected to increase in the coming years. Besides the growing usage of social media, the platforms, especially whatsapp, Twitter and Facebook are the most preferred by the country’s population. Also, most users are on the platforms primarily to keep in touch with friends and family, fill their spare time, get informations about happenings in the world or make new connections. For these reasons, they follow different kinds of accounts. Businesses and professionals also pay for their accounts to be promoted, when this is done, the accounts appear on the timeliness of people who do not even follow them and if a person finds any of these sponsores pages and develops interest in the messages being portrayed, they might decide to follow the account for more information. For this reason Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs), individuals and Corporate bodies who believe in the significance of GMOs must join in the good cause of using social media and the internet at large, to dispel all misconceptions surroundingGenetically Modified Foods. Traditional media must also join the good cause by publishing and sharing more stories on the enormous benefits of Genetically Modified crops on all their social media handles especially. In Ghana for instance, leading media houses in the country like the Ghanaian Times, Daily Graphic, Ghana News Agency (GNA), Daily Guide, Ghana Web, Joy News, Citi Fmand Televisioj, TV3, United Television and TV Africa have alrge following on their social media handles therefore if such media houses decide to promote agricultural literacy with more focus on the safety of GMOs on their channels and handles, it will also help counter the wrong claims groups such as the FSG are spreading about GMOs to create fear and panic among the public. A social media campaign on any activity needs much dedication amd consistency therefore leveraging social media to promote this cause with all the seriousness it deserves will produce expected positive results.

Some research findings on the relevance of GMOs

The major technologies that have an impact on pesticide use are genetically modified crops with insect resistance and herbicide tolerance, according to a study on the worldwide environmental effects of genetically modified crops by famous agricultural economist Graham Brookes. Since these technologies have been widely used for more than 24 years, the study found that the amount of active component used in pesticides has decreased by 748.6 million kg. The environmental impact of using insecticides and herbicides on these crops was further decreased by a more substantial 17.3% between 1996 and 2020, according to the report, as a result of this decline.

The study’s findings also demonstrated that farmers were able to transition from plow-based systems to lower fuel usage systems thanks to the widespread use of genetically modified crops.

In addition to the advantages for the environment, Brookes reported on the economic effects of genetically modified crops, stating that from 1996 to 2020, farmers who adopted such crops saw an increase in agricultural revenue of US$261.3 billion.

Given the significant economic progress being made in other regions of the world, Ghana may concentrate on actively promoting the use of genetically modified crops to boost its economy.

How the public influences policy implementation

Resistance from the public on certain policies could make governments reluctant to introduce certain initiatives that could better the lives of the populace therefore we must not sit back and allow a section of the public to keep using every means they have to send negative comments about GMOs when we can use social media to debunk such rumours

There are many positive facts about GMOs that could be disseminated on social media to downplay the misconceptions, therefore greater public sensitisation, using such platforms will undoubtedly help increase awareness about the safety GM crops.

BY RAISSA SAMBOU