Biotechnology is vital for food, social, economic security: experts

ISLAMABAD: International biotechnology experts have stressed that the development of agriculture sector is important for food, social and economic security of developing countries while the options of using biotech crops can create a useful impact on farmers’ lives, who may achieve both the objectives of food security and economic development for their country.

It was said by International Services for the acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) experts Dr Mariechel J Navarro and Rhodora R Aldemita while addressing an international workshop on ‘International Perspective about the Future of Biotech Crops’ here at a hotel on Friday. The workshop was organised by Agriculture Journalists Association (AJA) to explain the needs and importance of biotechnology among the opinion makers. The members of AJA Lahore and capital’s agriculture journalists attended the event.

Aldemita shared the history, needs and growth of biotech crops. She told the audience that due to mega influx in human population use of new technology has become the need of hour and only technological development can prevent the world especially developing countries from food insecurity. While talking about the application of biotech crops she mentioned that 29 countries are currently using biotech crops and getting sustainable growth in their agriculture sector. She highlighted Brazil as the most successful developing country using biotech crops where 83 percent of soya and 65 percent of maize were being produced through biotechnology. She described the myths and realities of genetically modified crops as well and revealed the facts regarding food ingestion, horizontal gene flow, gene transfer to human causing disease, gene flow to weeds, cross pollination, effect on non-target organism, loss of biodiversity and safety of water soil and air.

Dr Navarro from Philippine presented the test case of biotech crops’ adoption in her own country and explained the role of media in the promotion of new technology. She described the role of Philippine’s media regarding biotech crops and revealed that fact of effective communication is the most important tool in capacity building. To meet the challenges being faced by today’s agriculture in developing countries like Philippine and Pakistan, biotech crops offer a sustainable solution and there is a dire need of commercialising the crops to counter food insecurity.

While responding to different questions, ISAAA experts explained that biotech crops can bring huge deduction in the expenses and farmers can achieve healthy production by using less labour than organic crops. Experts said that farmers should be the decisive authority to choose best suited option for sustainable production but should be educated regarding new technologies to decide.

The experts were of the view that adopting biotechnology was optional, neither the government nor any company can force any farmer to use it. The farmers have to decide to increase their yields, source of earning or to continue on old conventional method of farming. They also claimed that studies have shown that biotech varieties are healthier than conventional varieties. Biotech corn has been found to have fewer mycotoxins. Biotechnology can increase the nutritional value of crops, especially those that are food staples in developing countries.

Researchers worldwide are continually working to develop new biotech varieties that benefit farmers, industry, consumers and the environment. Some new developments include plants and trees improved through biotech to express multiple traits, such as virus-tolerance and pest-tolerance. Biotech plants and trees can tolerate or resist certain environmental stresses, such as drought or saline soil, the experts maintained.