“We are not starving”: Challenging Genetically Modified Seeds and Development in Ghana

Joeva Rock First published: 03 June 2018 https://doi.org/10.1111/cuag.12147 Joeva Rock holds a PhD in Anthropology from American University and is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies Program at New York University (2018–2019). Her research specializes in political ecology, development, and social movements. https://anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/cuag.12147?campaign=wolearlyview In the last decade, the number of African countries researching and growing genetically modified seeds (GMOs) has increased fourfold. These efforts are backed by an international consortium of donors who broker agreements between biotechnology companies and African state scientists to lease genetic material for use. Given the involvement of African scientists, proponents argue that these projects are homegrown and necessary to feed the African continent. However, in Ghana, where GM cowpea and rice are currently under field trial, both Ghanaian scientists and anti‐GMO activists are unsatisfied with donor‐constructed realities. Instead, these unlikely bedfellows challenge the discourses that circulate through international development circuits by pointing to a history of both colonial exploitation and sovereign dreams. By doing so, Ghanaian scientists and activists articulate alternative visions for a food sovereign, postcolonial future.