By Sehrish Wasif
Considering the food scarcity in the country and its future impact, the
use of genetically modified organisms in agriculture would not only
increase yield but also reduce the need for more farmland, irrigation
facilities and pesticides.
This was stated by Federal Environment Minister Hameed Ullah Jan Afridi
while addressing the participants of a seminar on 'Genitacally Modified
Organisms (GMOs) - Applications and Implications', organised by the
Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) and the National
Biosaftey Centre (NBC) here on Tuesday.

Federal Environment Secretary Ejaz Ahmed Qureshi, Pak-EPA
Director-General Asif Shuja, Pak-EPA Director Ziaul Islam, NBC
Secretary-General Dr Kauser Abdullah Malik, National Commission on
Biotechnology Chairman Dr Anwar Naseem, representatives of Ministry of
Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Minfal) and representatives of other
departments concerned, students and lecturers attended the seminar.
"Genetically Modified Organism has attained utmost importance owing to
increasing demand for food world over. However, this phenomenon is new
in this part of the world", said the minister.

Afridi said that where these benefits could boost the economy and
provide food security there are unknown fears like health and
environmental implications, which become more significant particularly
in case of developing countries like Pakistan.

The minister commented that the release of GM crops without carrying out
proper risk-assessment could create havoc and adversely affect non-GM
crops by contaminating them with their modified genomes.

"Before commercial release of the GM crop, I call upon scientists to
fully understand the economic value of agriculture produce particularly
our cotton which is a backbone of Pakistan's economy", he maintained.

He called upon the scientists, representatives of the civil society and
the regulators to take responsibility of safeguarding agricultural
resources and human health while adopting new Genetically Modified
Organisms.

Afridi said that bio-technology, its dynamics and rapidly evolving
scientific research, has created need for GM applications in
agriculture, health, industry and environment.

"Modern techniques of biotechnology are being utilised to stabilise and
enhance crops yield, improve the living standard of poor population,
provide nutrient enriched and better quality food and reduce negative
environmental impacts", said Afridi.

The minister observed that the institutions like the National Institute
of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (Nibge), the Centre for
Excellence in Molecular Biology (Cemb), and the National Institute of
Agriculture and Biology (Niab) could play a vital role in research and
development of GM technology and promoting its use.

Afridi called upon National Bio-Safety Centre of Pak-EPA to closely work
with these institutions and particularly with Minfal to build their
regulatory capacity for enforcing bio-safety regulations.

Speaking on the occasion, Ejaz Ahmed Qureshi said the environment
ministry has set up a National Bio-safety Centre at Pakistan
Environmental Protection Agency to implement and execute the Pakistan
Bio-safety Rules and National Bio-safety Guidelines.

"More than 35 research and academic institutions are working on the
field of biotechnology, which is a very encouraging sign. These
institutes need to be strengthened for research and development of GM
technology adopting adequate bio-safety regulations", he added.

He said the world community is conscious of the risks of "Genetically,
Modified Organisms" and their products. He said the United Nations had
introduced Cartagena Protocol on the bio-safety under the umbrella of
Convention on Bio-diversity, which is an effective tool to create a
regime of bio-safety among countries willing to undertake "Genetically
Modified Organisms" trading.

He said Pakistan is a signatory to the Cartagena Protocol on the
bio-safety and is in the process of its ratification. "We need
technically sound institutes to regulate GM products once the protocol
is ratified", he added.

Speaking on the occasion, various experts stressed the need for putting
in place a monitoring system to detect the products produced locally
through genetically modified organisms and the ones that are being
imported.

They said that the bio-accidents in the agricultural countries like
Cotton Leaf Curl Virus in Pakistan threatened agriculture economy and
vanished popular varieties of crops. Our consumers in most cases are not
aware of the GM ingredients in seed and food for lack of knowledge.
Under the international obligations, the consumer has the right to be
informed of the GM products. Our Bio-safety Centre should address this
aspect and a system of labelling of GM foods and fodder is put in place.

They said that very few people know that almost 90 percent of Soyabean
oil is being extracted from genetically modified seed. There are some
well-equipped laboratories but unfortunately those are not being used
the way they are supposed to be, they observed.

The speakers also stressed the need for developing a system to detect if
Bt-cotton is imported. They also said that the GMOs have heightened
concerns that genetic engineering may in the long run be harmful to
human health and the environment unless effective regulatory frameworks
is put in place. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that the public
and private sectors must introduce the use of biotechnology to maximise
benefits and minimise risks.

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