Import of GMO soybean okayed

Decision raises concerns among environmentalists, farmers over risks

KARACHI:

In a surprising development, the federal government has allowed the import of genetically-modified (GMO) soybeans from the United States without conducting risk assessments on 47 gene events in Pakistan's local conditions, as required by Article 15 of the Cartagena Protocol. This decision effectively changes Pakistan's non-GMO status to GMO, despite previous objections by former prime ministers, including Mian Nawaz Sharif, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Imran Khan, and Mian Shehbaz Sharif, alongside opposition from the Ministry of National Food Security and Research.

The exemption of risk assessments for local conditions appears to have been influenced by powerful industry players, allegedly including a politician from the ruling party. The decision has sparked widespread concerns among environmentalists, farmers, civil society, consumers, and agricultural experts.

The National Biosafety Committee (NBC), chaired by Secretary Eazaz Aslam Dar of the Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Division, recently granted licenses to over 42 importers, authorising them to import GMO soybeans with 47 gene events for food, feed, and processing (FFP). The approval was allegedly made without the mandated local risk assessments required by the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.

A complaint lodged by Muhammad Jawad Advocate to Prime Minister Mian Shehbaz Sharif alleges that the licenses were issued based on fabricated risk assessment data submitted by Dr Mazhar Iqbal, a professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences at Quaid-e-Azam University. Iqbal allegedly charged Rs700,000 from each importer to process applications for more than 45 solvent extraction importers to the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) under a revised NBC SOP. The complaint raises concerns about irregularities, with high-ranking officials allegedly fast-tracking the approvals.

Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) Director General (DG) Dr Farzana Altaf Shah has previously advocated for strict adherence to Rule 14(2) of the Pakistan Biosafety Rules and Article 15 of the Cartagena Protocol, both of which require comprehensive risk assessments within Pakistan's local conditions before any GMO products can be released. According to the protocol, such assessments are essential to confirm GMO imports are safe for human health, the environment, and local biodiversity.

However, recent amendments to Pakistan Biosafety Rules, specifically Rules 8, 14, and 20 from 2005, have lifted the requirement for local risk assessments, now allowing GMO soybean imports solely based on risk data from the country of origin, where conditions differ significantly from those in Pakistan. Complaints suggest that this regulatory shift was urgently initiated by the Pak-EPA DG, allegedly without the consensus of NBC members, who are responsible for reviewing biosafety rules and recommending amendments to the government in accordance with international treaty guidelines, during the caretaker government.

The caretaker government's Cabinet Committee for Disposal of Legislative Cases (CCLC), which was constituted contrary to the Constitution and Section 230 of the Election Act, 2017, approved these amendments, leading to the issuance of a statutory regulatory order (SRO No 45(1)/2024) on January 18, 2024. Section 230 restricts the caretaker government to routine administration, prohibiting major policy decisions with long-term impacts on agriculture and public health.

Documents suggest that the complainant alleged Pak-EPA DG and Dr Zaigham Abbas, Director of NEQS at Pak-EPA, may have been influenced by personal incentives. Influential groups like the All Pakistan Solvent Extraction Association (APSEA) are alleged to have played a role in promoting these regulatory changes.

After the regulatory shift, Dr Farzana Altaf Shah convened the 27th meeting of the TAC, where she presented revised SOPs for GMO imports that were swiftly approved. Under these new guidelines, importers and developers are now permitted to apply for GMO import licenses through Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBC). As TAC Chairperson, Shah approved over 40 applications for GMO soybean imports. These applications were processed solely through Dr Mazhar Iqbal at Quaid-e-Azam University, despite missing signatures and approvals from other mandatory QAU-IBC members, including the Department Head, Dean of Social Sciences, Economics Department representative, and a civil society representative, as mandated by Rule 8 of the Pakistan Biosafety Rules, 2005.

The rapid processing of these risk assessments, typically requiring years of study, has raised questions about the legitimacy and integrity of these approvals. Officials from other departments are also alleged to have facilitated the regulatory changes.

An estimated $1.5 billion in foreign exchange will be spent on potentially hazardous GMO soybean imports, which could also face protests from farmers over concerns about crop diversity and soil health impacts.

The TAC chairperson did not respond to queries on the matter. However, an anonymous EPA official confirmed that the complaint has been received by the Prime Minister's Office and other relevant ministries, but no action has been taken. The official claimed the GMO soybean import decision was made based on the caretaker government's cabinet decision, with approvals from relevant forums. Caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar, however, refuted this claim and denied knowledge of the amendments.