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Dr Mrs Marian Quain, a Senior Research Scientist has called on Ghanaians to embrace the use of biotechnology in agricultural production to ensure increased crop yields. Dr Quain, who is also the head of Biotechnology Research Programme at the Crops Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-CRI) argued that there is the need for the country to adopt improved means of food production to meet the rising food needs of the populace because of Climate Change and increased pressure on the available arable land due to increasing population. She made the suggestion during a presentation at a three-day day workshop for Northern Sector journalists at Fumesua, near Kumasi. Dr Quain warned that: �With Climate Change, if we go on with agriculture as we always do, we will go begging for food in the near future. There is need for genetic engineering of crops to enable them (crops) to survive in the changing climatic conditions to assure the population food.� The training programme is to deepen the knowledge of the journalists on biotechnology and biosafety issues to ensure fair and balanced reportage related issues. The Programme for Biosafety Systems - Ghana (PBS), the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), AfriCenter, and the African Biosafety Network of Expertise (ABNE) organized the workshop, which ended on Friday. Participants were taken through the practical and theories on Biotechnology and Biosafety, the Biosafety Act, the Plant Breeders� Bill, Biotechnology Applications in Nigeria and Burkina Faso, among other issues. Biotechnology is a tool employed by scientists to manipulate the genetic-make up of organisms to produce improved breeds. Dr Quain stressed that genetic engineering would not only boost agricultural production but would also improve the incomes and livelihoods of farmers as well as the country�s economic situation. Some experts say the Government has put in place the necessary legal framework and administrative procedures in the form of enacting the Biosafety Act as well as establishing the National Biosafety Commission to regulate the production of genetically modified organisms (GMO) products in the country. Currently, CSIR � CRI in the Ashanti Region and the Savannah Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR � SARI) in the Northern Region have been certified, and are accordingly undertaking confined field trials of GMO rice and biotechnology cotton, respectively in the country. However, anti-GMO activists have kicked against efforts to introduce as well as produce GMOs and biotech products in the country citing socio-economic and health concerns of such foods and products. But Dr Quain said such concerns stem from misconception, stating that many studies and research had gone into the development of GMOs, which prove that they (GMOS) are safe for human consumption. Professor Walter Alhassan, Member of the Programme for Biosafety Systems � Ghana, called for objectivity and the scaling up of Science Reporting to demystify misconceptions about scientific issues to enable the citizenry to have a balanced understanding of the issues. Mr Eric Okoree, Deputy Director, Environment Unit of the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, said the Government with its relevant partners is well-prepared to regulate the production of GMOs for the benefit of all. Mr Okoree said the country had passed the appropriate laws with sanctions to safeguard the population in relation to the production of GMOs in the country.