Special Feature: “Understanding GMO Foods: What You Need to Know.
📅 Special Edition Release: Friday, October 3rd 2025
📍 Read exclusively at assumptagh.live
👤 Featuring Gwen Addo at The Leading Hair Senta
📰 A Vision Beyond Walls
For Gwen Addo, community health, beauty, and wellness go far beyond the physical space of The Hair Senta. Her mission is to empower middle-class Ghanaians with accessible wellness resources, foster a true sense of belonging, and inspire young people to see themselves as essential contributors to a healthier society.
She views business not just as a service, but as a community hub—a place where people feel valued, supported, and connected. “Cultural exchange is at the heart of this vision,” she explains. “It creates ripples of connection that unite hearts.”
These “waves of connection,” she says, are the foundation of social progress. When people feel a deep sense of belonging, the path toward health and wellness becomes easier and more sustainable.
To Gwen-Addo, culture is a boundless force—a driver of health, development, and collective growth. She calls her model “a community where people feel good—because their health and wellness come first.”
Gwen Addo: A Catalyst for Change
Gwen Addo is a business strategist, entrepreneur, author (Direction), and co-founder of Owusuwaa Weekly Health Magazine. She is also the founder and CEO of Hair Senta, HIBS-Africa, and TLS—The Leading Senta.
Her passion lies in transformation—helping individuals unlock their full potential. Through her ventures, Gwen is not just building businesses; she is shaping a movement toward holistic wellness.
Understanding GMO Foods & Corporate Influence: What You Need to Know 🍊🥭🍋
Introduction
We are talking about fruits like orange, pawpaw, lime, and many others—seedless varieties that look perfect on the outside but may hide a dangerous truth. Many of these fruits have been chemically treated or altered, leaving residues that can affect our health. While they promise convenience and beauty, these “perfect” fruits are often products of modern biotechnology, chemical farming, or genetic modification, and their long-term safety is increasingly being questioned.
1. Why Fruits Are Seedless or Altered
Seedless fruits don’t happen naturally—they are created either by:
🔹 Genetic modification (GMO): DNA is altered to produce seedless or disease-resistant fruits.
🔹 Chemical treatments: Hormones and other chemicals prevent seeds from forming and enhance appearance.
🔹 Hybridization: Traditional crossbreeding can also create seedless varieties, though less extreme than GMOs.
While these methods improve yield and appearance, they often come with hidden health risks.
2. Hidden Dangers
Many fruits are heavily sprayed or treated with:
- Pesticides and herbicides
- Hormones for faster ripening
- Chemicals to resist pests
These can leave residues that enter your body, potentially affecting:
- Hormonal balance
- Fertility and reproductive health
- Immune system function
- Long-term risk of chronic illnesses
Even if the fruit is GMO-free, chemical treatments alone can pose risks, especially to women, children, and vulnerable populations.
3. Corporate Control and Profit 💰🌍
The companies that produce, modify, and distribute these fruits are profit-driven, not health-driven. Powerful investors and corporations—such as Bayer/Monsanto, backed by Bill Gates and BlackRock—influence regulation, research, and approvals.
This system prioritizes profit and control over public health, making it difficult for consumers to know the true safety of what they eat.
4. A Critical Reflection on Power and Health
Imagine a world where one of the most influential figures in technology and global health addressed these controversies directly. Critics have imagined an apology along the lines of:
“I want to acknowledge the frustrations caused by technology we created, the ways our systems have profited from solutions to problems we may have helped create, and the ethical questions raised by our influence on global health. These are issues we must confront honestly.
This reflection reminds us that systems of power, profit, and control are intertwined with what we consume—and that awareness and informed choices are essential for protecting our health.
5. How to Protect Yourself 🛡️
✔️ Buy from local farmers or trusted markets
✔️ Prefer seeded fruits over seedless
✔️ Wash thoroughly with salt water, vinegar, or baking soda
✔️ Peel fruit when in doubt
✔️ Grow your own small fruit plants if possible
✔️ Avoid “perfect-looking” imported fruits
6. Key Takeaway 💡
Seedless and chemically-altered fruits may look convenient, but their production is often profit-driven and health-risky. Likewise, technology and global health initiatives can carry unseen risks when profit outweighs public welfare. Your best defense is awareness and informed choices—in the foods you eat, the products you use, and the systems you trust.
Featured Discussion in Our Newsletter ✨
This week’s newsletter hosted by One Ghana’s journalist Berla-Mundi, features a discussion with Gwen-Addo, wellness coach and founder of Hair Senta and Owusuwaa Weekly, on GMO foods, corporate influence, and chemical farming. She emphasizes that good health is universal, and communities must be empowered to protect themselves.
Don’t miss it—your health starts with informed choices! 🚀
🎙️ Dialogue: Owusuwaa Weekly Health Magazine:
Special Feature: “Understanding GMO Foods: What You Need to Know”
Berla Mundi (Host)
Good day to our cherished readers and listeners across Ghana, Africa, and around the world. My name is Berla Mundi, television host, media personality, and advocate for public awareness and impactful conversations that touch everyday lives.
Today, we bring you a very important edition of the Owusuwaa Weekly Health Magazine Dialogue — a platform dedicated to informing, educating, and inspiring healthier communities.
I am honoured to welcome a distinguished guest:
Mrs. Gwen Addo, widely known as Gwen Addo — a visionary entrepreneur, business strategist, author of the inspirational book Direction, and co-founder of the Owusuwaa Weekly Health Magazine.
Gwen Addo is also the founder and CEO of
- The Hair Senta,
- HIBS-Africa, and
- TLS—The Leading Senta.
Her philosophy is clear: business is not merely a service, but a community hub — a space where people feel valued, supported, and connected. She is passionate about transformation, wellness, empowerment, and building a culture of belonging.
With her initiative “Vision Beyond Walls,” she continues to redefine what it means to serve a community—not only physically, but mentally, culturally, and socially.
Berla Mundi:
Gwen Addo, you are most welcome to the Owusuwaa Weekly Health Magazine Dialogue.
Today’s special feature is titled:
“Understanding GMO Foods: What You Need to Know.”
We all know you as the driving force behind The Hair Senta, and your work has shown that community health, beauty, and wellness go far beyond the physical space. Your mission to empower middle-class Ghanaians with accessible wellness resources, foster belonging, and inspire young people as active contributors to a healthier society has been truly remarkable.
“Cultural exchange,” as you always say, “is at the heart of your vision.”
You are not just building businesses—you are shaping a movement toward holistic wellness.
Now, the world is listening, and readers from across the globe will follow our conversation closely.
Your newsletter, Owusuwaa Weekly Health Magazine, recently provided a powerful feature on GMO foods, particularly their dangers, the poisoning effect of chemical use, and the growing concern over seedless, lab-altered produce.
So tell us, Gwen:
With so many of these genetically engineered foods being injected with harmful substances, do they still contain any real nutritional value? And what should Ghanaians — and the world — understand about their impact?
Gwen Addo:
Thank you, Berla, for that beautiful and thoughtful introduction. And my heartfelt appreciation to the team at Owusuwaa Weekly Health Magazine for creating platforms like this, where real conversations that affect our health and future can take place.
When we talk about GMO foods, we are not merely discussing science or innovation — we are talking about what enters our bodies, what feeds our children, and what shapes the health of entire communities.
The question of whether genetically modified foods contain nutrients is important, but it must be understood in context.
Yes, some GMO foods may retain basic nutrients — carbohydrates, certain vitamins, or minerals. However, the presence of nutrients does not cancel out the dangers associated with how these foods are engineered.
There are three major areas of concern:
1. Chemical Exposure
Many GMO crops are engineered to resist heavy pesticide and herbicide use. This means they are sprayed with chemicals that would normally kill the plant. These toxins don’t disappear — they enter the food chain and accumulate in the body over time.
We are seeing links to:
- Hormonal imbalance
- Fertility issues
- Immune suppression
- Cancers
- Childhood developmental problems
2. Loss of Natural Integrity
Natural foods carry life force, seed memory, and a biological intelligence that works in harmony with the human body. When something is genetically manipulated to remove its seed, its resistance, or its natural form, we are not just changing its structure — we are reducing its vibrational and nutritional integrity.
A fruit without seeds is not just seedless — it is lifeless. It cannot reproduce itself, and that tells you something fundamental has been taken away.
3. Long-Term Health Impact
Many of the illnesses we are facing today, especially in developing countries like Ghana — cancers, kidney diseases, allergies, infertility — were not this common 30 or 40 years ago. Our grandparents ate foods from the earth, not from a laboratory.
The issue is not only “Are there nutrients?”
The real issue is:
Does the body recognize what it is eating?
Are we consuming food or chemical replicas of food?
So to answer your question directly, Berla:
GMO foods may appear nutritious on paper — but their health cost, the toxins involved, and the unnatural engineering make them a silent threat. We must educate our communities now, not later. Because once the soil, the seeds, and the mindset are taken over, we lose control of our food and our future.
Perfect 👍 Let’s continue with Option A — a structured Q&A dialogue.
Berla Mundi (Host):
Thank you so much, Gwen, for breaking this down so clearly. You’ve painted a very vivid picture of why GMO foods may appear harmless but are in fact a silent danger to our health.
Now let me ask you this: How can we protect ourselves and our families from GMO foods in practical ways? Many people simply buy what is available in the markets and supermarkets, often without knowing what is natural and what is genetically modified. What can the ordinary Ghanaian — and indeed, anyone around the world — do to make healthier choices and safeguard their well-being
Gwen Addo (Guest):
That is an excellent and very important question, Berla. Protecting ourselves begins with awareness and small, consistent actions. Let me share a few practical steps:
- Buy Local, Support Farmers
Choose foods that are grown locally by smallholder farmers. Ghanaian yam, plantain, cocoyam, kontomire, millet, and our natural vegetables are far safer and more nutrient-dense than imported, genetically engineered alternatives. - Read Labels Carefully
In supermarkets, always check the packaging. If the product says “GMO,” “genetically modified,” or “bio-engineered,” avoid it. Watch out especially for cereals, cooking oils, soy products, and seedless fruits. - Go for Seeds, Not Seedless
A simple rule: if the fruit has no seed, think twice. God created fruits to reproduce themselves. A seedless fruit is often a laboratory product. - Grow Your Own Food
Even in small spaces, families can grow vegetables like tomatoes, okro, kontomire, or herbs. It connects us to the soil and ensures purity. - Educate Your Children
Our children are the most vulnerable, and they are also the biggest consumers of processed snacks. Teach them early to appreciate natural foods and limit sugary, packaged items that often contain GMO ingredients. - Community Advocacy
Lastly, let’s not stop at protecting only ourselves. We must share this knowledge with our neighbours, our churches, our schools. Health is a collective responsibility.
Gwen Addo (concluding this part):
So, Berla, the message is simple: choose local, choose natural, choose life. Every cedi we spend on food is a vote — either for our health or for harmful systems. If we stay conscious, we can protect ourselves and inspire change in the wider society.
Great — I’ll continue with Berla Mundi’s follow-up question on government and policy responsibility, flowing naturally from the previous response.
Berla Mundi (Host):
Thank you, Gwen. Your point about conscious choices and community awareness is powerful. But as you mentioned, this issue goes beyond individual action.
Let’s talk about leadership and policy. Around the world, governments play a major role in regulating food standards, approving or rejecting GMO imports, and protecting citizens through proper labeling and education.
So let me ask you:
What responsibilities do governments — especially in countries like Ghana — have when it comes to GMO foods?
And how can policymakers ensure that the health of the people is placed above profit, foreign influence, and convenience?
Gwen Addo (Guest):
Berla, this is where responsibility and accountability become critical. When it comes to food, health, and the future of a nation, the government cannot be neutral. Leadership must act as a shield, not a gateway for harm.
There are four key responsibilities governments must uphold:
1. Strong Food Policies and Regulation
Governments must thoroughly evaluate and regulate all GMO imports.
No product should enter the country simply because it is cheap or heavily marketed. Health must be the priority, not trade pressure.
2. Mandatory Labeling and Transparency
Every citizen has the right to know what they are eating.
Policies must demand that any genetically engineered food is clearly labeled — no hidden ingredients, no confusing packaging. Without transparency, there is no choice.
3. Support for Local Agriculture
We cannot protect public health while abandoning our farmers.
Instead of replacing local crops with modified imports, governments should invest in:
- Indigenous seeds
- Agroecology
- Farmer training
- Sustainable food systems
When we lose our farms, we lose control over our food and our health.
4. Public Education and Advocacy
Ignorance is the biggest weapon used against the people.
Ministries of Health, Agriculture, and Education should run public awareness campaigns in schools, churches, media, and markets. People must understand the risks, not discover them after illness.
Gwen Addo (closing this section):
At the end of the day, a nation that cannot control what enters its soil, its market, and the stomach of its people has compromised its sovereignty.
Protecting citizens from harmful GMO practices is not activism — it is leadership.
Policies should not serve corporations over communities.
Berla Mundi (Host):
Gwen, let’s take this conversation a step deeper.
There is a growing concern about who really controls our food. The companies producing, modifying, and distributing genetically engineered crops are not driven by health — they are driven by profit and power.
Global corporations like Bayer/Monsanto, backed by powerful investors such as Bill Gates and BlackRock, hold enormous influence over research, regulation, licensing, and approval policies. This creates a system where:
- Profit is placed above public health,
- Corporate lobbying shapes government decisions,
- And the average consumer cannot truly know the safety of what they eat.
Some critics have even said that we now live in a world where the same people funding “solutions” are connected to the very problems being created — especially when it comes to food, health, seeds, chemicals, and vaccines.
There’s a powerful reflection people imagine from figures like Bill Gates — one that sounds like an overdue public admission. Something along the lines of:
“I want to acknowledge the frustrations caused by technology we created, the ways our systems have profited from solutions to problems we may have helped create, and the ethical questions raised by our influence on global health. These are issues we must confront honestly.”
This raises a serious issue:
If power, profit, and control are deeply intertwined with what we consume, how can people protect themselves?
So let me ask you, Gwen:
How do we challenge this corporate dominance over our food and health?
And what role does public awareness, community action, or even policy resistance play in breaking this cycle of control?
Gwen Addo (Guest):
Berla, this is one of the most urgent conversations of our time, because it goes beyond food — it touches power, ownership, and the right to exist freely.
When corporations like Bayer/Monsanto, backed by investors like Bill Gates and BlackRock, control the seeds, the chemicals, the research, and the approvals, it means they also control the future of our health. And when food becomes an industry instead of a birthright, the people become dependent instead of empowered.
But we are not powerless. Here’s how we challenge this system:
1. Awareness is the First Defense
Ignorance is what keeps the public obedient and silent. Once people understand that these companies are not health-driven but profit-driven, they begin to question, resist, and choose differently.
2. Support Indigenous and Local Food Systems
When we buy from local farmers, plant indigenous seeds, and preserve traditional crops, we break the cycle of dependency.
Every tuber of yam, every bunch of kontomire, every garden we grow is a statement of resistance.
3. Collective Advocacy and Public Pressure
When communities speak, governments listen. When people stay silent, policies are written by corporations.
We must demand:
- Clear labeling of GMO foods
- Transparency in import and trade agreements
- Funding for organic and local agriculture
4. Naming the Power Structures
We cannot fight what we refuse to identify. These companies are not charitable — they are profit machines.
They create chemicals, then create the seeds that resist those chemicals, then lobby for policies to force those seeds on the world.
It is a cycle of manufactured problems and profitable solutions.
5. A New Mindset — From Consumption to Consciousness
People think the fight is about food. It is deeper. It is about who controls your future.
If one entity owns your seeds, your medicine, and your data — then they own your destiny.
Gwen Addo (closing this response):
The imagined apology you quoted — that reflection about profiting from problems they helped create — is powerful not because it was said, but because it reminds us of a truth:
Systems of control are not accidental — they are designed.
And the answer is not fear, but awareness, unity, and intentional living.
We might not have their billions, but we have something stronger:
numbers, knowledge, and the will to protect life.:
Berla Mundi (Host):
Gwen, you’ve highlighted how corporations influence what we eat and how we think. But let’s bring this even closer to home by looking at three critical areas: our children, our continent, and our spiritual connection to food.
1. The Impact on Children and Fertility
Many people don’t realize that GMO foods, the chemicals they carry, and the hormones involved have deep consequences. Around the world, there are rising cases of:
- Infertility in both men and women
- Early puberty in young girls
- Hormonal imbalances
- Childhood cancers and allergies
- Autism spectrum increases and gut disorders
Our children — who should be the healthiest generation — are instead becoming test subjects in a silent experiment.
2. Africa’s Vulnerability
Africa has some of the richest soil, climate, and biodiversity on Earth. We grow what others import. Yet, instead of exporting natural health, we are now importing laboratory food.
Why?
Because corporations know that if Africa becomes dependent on patented seeds and foreign supply chains, they control our economy, our health, and our future.
3. The Spiritual and Cultural Connection to Food
In African tradition, food is not just nutrition — it is identity, spirituality, and ancestry.
We bless food before eating not because it is ritual, but because food is seen as alive, as coming from creation itself.
What happens when food no longer carries life?
When a mango cannot reproduce itself…
When a seed cannot grow without permission…
When God’s design is replaced with a patent?
These are ethical, cultural, and spiritual questions we must face.
Global Labelling Deception
Something else is happening quietly around the world. Because of resistance and safety concerns, countries like China, Japan, and many in the EU are moving away from using the term “GMO” on their products.
Instead, they now use the friendlier term:
“Bioengineered Food Ingredients.”
It sounds harmless, even healthy, but it is the same genetic manipulation, only rebranded to calm the public and protect the industry.
So even labeling is not about truth — it is about strategy.
Now, Gwen, I want to end this section with a deeper historical reflection.
From the time of our first cultural encounters — when Africans and Europeans met — there has been a consistent pattern:
The white man brings his products and convinces us that they are superior, cleaner, more advanced, more “civilized.”
And we, the black man, who already had nature’s original foods — yam, millet, palm oil, moringa, cocoyam, shea, tiger nuts, baobab, hibiscus, soursop — slowly began to replace them with what was presented to us as “better.”
So my question to you is this, Gwen:
How did we arrive at a place where the African abandoned his natural inheritance and embraced what was marketed to him as superior — even when it harms him?
And more importantly, how do we undo this mindset today?
Gwen Addo (Guest):
Berla, this question goes to the heart of our struggle — not just with food, but with identity and self-worth.
When Africans first encountered Europeans, it was not simply an exchange of goods. It was an exchange of narratives. We were told:
- Their bread was better than our millet.
- Their sugar was better than our honey.
- Their medicine was better than our herbs.
- Their education was superior to our wisdom.
Over time, the African began to doubt himself. We started believing that what came from outside was “modern,” “clean,” and “advanced,” while what came from our soil was “backward,” “dirty,” or “poor man’s food.”
This is not just about products — it is about colonial psychology. Once you convince a man that his own is inferior, you don’t need chains to control him. His own mind becomes the prison.
Berla-Mundi
How Did We Get Here?
Gwen-Addo
We got here because:
- Colonial Power — Our resources and foods were exploited, exported, and rebranded as premium abroad, while at home we were told to abandon them.
- Education Systems — Generations were taught to glorify foreign goods and despise indigenous knowledge.
- Media and Marketing — For decades, advertising portrayed canned, packaged, and imported foods as symbols of success.
- Policy Capture — Our leaders often signed trade agreements that favored foreign corporations over local farmers.
How Do We Undo This Mindset?
- Re-educate Ourselves
We must tell a new story. Our foods are not “poor.” They are powerful. Millet fights diabetes, moringa boosts immunity, kontomire strengthens blood, baobab is a superfood, hibiscus cleanses the body. These are treasures, not leftovers. - Celebrate Local in Culture and Media
Our musicians, actors, influencers, and educators must normalize eating fufu, tuo zaafi, millet porridge, fresh coconut, and kontomire. We must make it fashionable to eat African, live African, and heal African. - Policy and Protection
Leaders must ban harmful imports and support indigenous farmers. If the state protects oil, gold, and cocoa, why not protect the seed? - Spiritual Reconnection
Our ancestors saw food as a gift from God, the earth, and creation. We must return to that understanding. Food is not just about filling the stomach — it is about sustaining life, lineage, and dignity. So, Berla, the African, abandoned his natural inheritance because he was taught to despise himself and worship another.
The way forward is to reclaim our pride, our soil, our seeds, and our stories.
The yam, the shea, the baobab, the moringa — these are not “bush foods.” They are gifts of survival and strength.
The day we embrace them fully again, that is the day we break free — not just from GMO foods, but from centuries of silent mental slavery.
Berla Mundi (Host – Closing):
Thank you so much, Gwen, for this profound and eye-opening conversation.
Today, we have journeyed through layers of knowledge — from understanding GMO foods and their hidden dangers, to the corporate control and profit systems that shape what we consume, to the historical and cultural forces that influenced our choices as Africans.
Gwen has reminded us that health is not merely a personal matter. It is a matter of community, culture, and consciousness. Every choice we make — what we eat, what we teach our children, and what we support economically — sends a message about the kind of society we want to build.
She has challenged us to:
- Reclaim our indigenous foods and seeds
- Support local farmers and producers
- Demand transparency, labeling, and accountability
- Educate our children and communities about the truth behind what we eat
- Restore the spiritual and cultural connection to the food that nourishes our bodies and souls
Gwen’s message is clear: we are the stewards of our own health and heritage. By choosing knowledge, awareness, and conscious action, we can protect ourselves and our families from harm and build a healthier, empowered society.
Berla Mundi (Final Call to Action):
To our readers and listeners across Ghana and around the world: start today. Look at your food, know your seed, and value your heritage. Ask questions, support local, and never accept that profit and power should dictate your health.
Let this dialogue inspire you to be vigilant, to be informed, and to reclaim the life-giving foods and traditions that have sustained Africans for centuries.
Thank you, Gwen Addo, for sharing your vision, wisdom, and leadership.And thank you to our readers of Owusuwaa Weekly Health Magazine. Stay aware, stay conscious, and always remember: health is not just survival — it is freedom.
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