Jahangir's World Times First Comprehensive Magazine for students/teachers of competitive exams and general readers as well.
The developed world is fast adopting biotechnology in agriculture, and the developing world is also trying to catch up. The ever-increasing demand for food and loss in agricultural productivity, due to over-cultivation, pest attacks and diseases, demand for scientific development of seeds which can take care of these issue.
While countries are opting for genetic modifications in crops, certain anti-biotechnology campaigners in Pakistan are opposing genetically-modified (GM) crops on grounds they are not safe and their introduction will create monopoly of big multinationals in agriculture.
In fact, there is no concrete scientific data which may prove that these crops are unsafe or not fit for human consumption. On the contrary, there is sufficient evidence that these crops, which are assessed for environmental, food and feed safety by regulatory authorities before being allowed to be grown, are perfectly safe for human consumption.
Regarding the concerns about monopoly, one can say this debate arises whenever a new technology comes into use. But what happens is that soon after the introduction of a new technology, several local and international players enter the market and this gives birth to a competitive environment. Why are they going for gene improvement in case of livestock and reluctant when it comes to agricultural production?
Given that all agricultural universities of Pakistan are teaching biotechnology, we will soon have enough expertise to challenge monopoly of one or two companies.
The available data clearly demonstrate safety and the benefits of this technology to the farmers and environment. Regulators across the world carry out rigorous risk assessment before granting commercial approvals. UN, WHO, FAO, EFSA, Royal Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Sciences, French Academy of Medicine, British Medical Association, 25 Nobel laureates (including Norman Borlaug) all concluded that Bt crops are as safe as conventional crops. In meeting stringent food safety requirements and standards, biotech foods are among the most thoroughly tested foods available.
No other food crops in history have been tested and regulated as thoroughly as the foods developed through biotechnology. After more than 17 years of commercial production and consumption of the foods produced over hundreds of million acres, there are no instances on record where biotech have had negative effect on human health.
In Pakistan, the Bt cotton was first brought in by the farmers through unofficial channels because they thought it was useful for them and the government was too slow to approve the new technology.
Today, there are a number of approved and unapproved varieties of Bt cotton available in the country competing each other in the market. So where is the monopoly fear created by these anti-science lobbies?
Studies in countries where biotech products have been commercialised have demonstrated that farmers are the major beneficiaries. Technology not beneficial to the farmers, can never be successfully marketed anywhere in the world including Pakistan. Farmers always opt for the seeds developed to suit their local agronomic and environmental conditions. They also look out for the fact whether these seeds can bring them substantial benefits in terms of high yields and better crop management.
The reduction in pesticide application and the switch over to no-till cropping systems is continuing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture.
The government of Pakistan is likely to introduce GM corn shortly. It will have the capability to significantly reduce the losses caused by certain chewing insect pests and weeds and ultimately result in higher production.
In the Philippines, the only Asian country where GM corn is commercialised, there has been average yield increase of 15 per cent with herbicide tolerant corn while 25 per cent with insect resistant corn.
Above all, genetically-modified foods have the potential to solve many of the world’s hunger and malnutrition problems, and to help protect and preserve the environment by increasing yield and reducing reliance upon chemical pesticides and herbicides. The majority of these benefits continue to increasingly go to farmers in developing countries. The environment is also benefiting as farmers increasingly adopt conservation tillage practices, build their weed management practices around more benign herbicides and replace insecticide use with insect resistant GM crops.
The reduction in pesticide application and the switch over to no-till cropping systems is continuing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, feeding a world population of 9.1 billion in 2050 will require raising overall food production by 70 per cent.
To meet this challenge, farmers will need to find ways to grow more food more sustainably. Biotechnology has already helped increase food and feed production. For example, biotechnology traits have added 74 million tonnes and 79.7 million tonnes respectively to global production of soybeans and corn since its introduction in 1996. Vitamin A-enriched ‘Golden Rice’, which has been developed by International Rice Research Institute (IRRI-Philippines), is one of the examples of biotech crops that fight malnutrition (Vitamin A deficiency).
Agriculture is the backbone of our economy and any wrong decision regarding adoption or rejection of any agricultural technology can have an adverse impact on our country. Therefore, it is suggested that the government should take decision on biotechnology, purely on the basis of scientific evidence and ignore the propaganda of certain interest groups.
