Genetically-modified crops: ‘Biotech needed to feed growing population’

Report reviewing biotech, agriculture developments launched at GCU.


Our Correspondent March 30, 2013
Pakistan ranked 9th of 28 countries growing biotech crops, with 2.8 million hectares of biotech cotton being grown in 2012. PHOTO: FILE

LAHORE:


With its rapidly growing population, Pakistan faces the risk of serious food insecurity by 2030 unless it adopts biotechnology applications in agriculture.


This was the view expressed by biotech scientists at the launch of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications, ISAAA Brief 44, a review of developments in international biotechnology, sustainable agriculture and technology transfer.

Chaired by GCU Vice Chancellor Dr Khaleequr Rahman, the launch of the report was organised by the Pakistan Biotechnology Information Centre (PABIC) at the GCU Institute of Industrial Biotechnology.

The report states that biotech crop growing around the world increased for the 17th consecutive year in 2012, with a total of 170 million hectares coming under cultivation. Developing countries grew a larger percentage of the net global biotech crop, 52%, for the first time in 2012. The top five biotech crop countries were China, India, Brazil, South Africa and Argentina, which collectively grew a total of approximately 78 million hectares, around 46% of global cultivation. These five countries also account for 40% of the global population. Pakistan ranked 9th of 28 countries growing biotech crops, with 2.8 million hectares of biotech cotton being grown in 2012.

Dr Clive James, the author of ISAAA Brief 44, said in a recorded message played at the ceremony that the provision of food to the continuously growing population of the world was a great challenge. By 2050, Pakistan’s population would reach 250 million and would require greater resources. He highlighted the need for the cultivation of crops which required less maintenance and reaped greater yields. He said that the increased biotech crop cultivation in developing countries in 2012 was an encouraging sign.

GCU Institute of Industrial Biotechnology Director Prof Dr Ikramul Haq stressed the need to open training centres for farmers where they could be taught about the significance of genetically modified crops.

Pakistan Academy of Sciences General Secretary Dr Anwar Nasim said there could be a national crisis and rioting if the issue of food shortage was not addressed. Biotechnological advancements must be employed to counter the challenges posed by food insecurity in Pakistan, he said.

National Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Director Dr Sohail Hameed said Pakistan needed technology innovations in agri-biotechnology to address food shortages in the long run.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 30th, 2013.

COMMENTS (2)

Health2013 | 10 years ago | Reply

GMOs cannot and will not ever feed the world, Right now it's damaging people, livestock, and soil worldwide.

The American Academy of Environmental Medicine says that GMOs are causally linked to accelerated aging, dysfunctional immune regulation, organ damage, gastrointestinal distress, and immune system damage.

19 Studies Link GMOs to Organ Disruption — http://www.responsibletechnology.org/posts/?p=1340

The Union of Concerned Scientists' studies confirm that reduce yield. A USDA report from 2006 showed that farmers don't actually increase income from GMOs, but many actually lose income. And for the last several years, the United States has been forced to spend $3-$5 billion per year to prop up the prices of the GM crops no one wants."

There are no human safety studies yet, because they were deemed unnecessary biotech controlled governments. Monsanto refuses to allow independent testing of its GMOs (under pretense of protecting its patented technologies).

Fly on the wall | 10 years ago | Reply

Poverty is usually used as an excuse to justify the existence of agro industries and biotech methods of food production, even when 2 billion tonnes (possibly more) of food is wasted by Europe alone, but this problem of food storage and distribution tends to get ignored by the honchos of agro industries and their scientists. Serious food insecurity in Pakistan has always been there, since its inception and it seems that much food production in developing countries is destined for the developed world and the urban elites of the developing countries as is the cultivation of biofuel crops that have led to the destruction of the rainforests in the asian and the far eastern regions. The population explosion is out of control and no measures have been taken by the governments of those regions to deal with it. These countries are already facing serious water scarcity, desertification, salinity, soil degradation due to pesticides, water pollution, serious decline of wildlife and marine life etc. Africa is also facing similar problems.

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