GMOs products to help meet food shortage
GMOs products to help meet food shortage
By Atif Khan ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Environment, Hameedullah Jan Afridi said on Tuesday Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) products promise to meet the risk of food shortage by enhancing food crop production in prevalent low supply, leading the world to verge of famine. Federal minister at a seminar on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) stressed scientists to fully understand the economic value of agriculture produce particularly cotton, which was the backbone of country’s economy.He said without carrying out proper risk assessment, GMOs could create havoc and adversely effect non-genetically modified or traditional crops by contaminating them. Participants of the seminar termed, lack of rules and regulations regarding genetically modified organisms, the major cause of decrease in cotton crop over years.The imported GMO fruits and vegetables pose a threat to human life in coming generations, they added.Scientists termed decreasing per acre yield of cotton crop and lower quality cotton staple were due to the failure of Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (PAK-EPA) to stop illegal sowing of 39 varieties of BT cotton in 80 percent of the cotton growing area of the country. They said due to poor knowledge farmers of the country were sowing smuggled BT cottonseed, without knowing its origin and roots. They said illegal seed lack qualities and characteristics due to lack of pedigree.Dr Kamran said the palm oil imported from Malaysia might be obtained from GMO, as no scientific method exist in the country to check it.Dr Nuzhat of Centre for Molecular Genetics, University of Karachi said Centre of Excellence in molecular biology (CEMB) and National institute for biotechnology and genetic engineering (NIBGE) has produced several varieties of BT cotton. Participants strongly criticised that why BT cottonseed was imported through multinational company when it was already underdevelopment in NIBGE and CEMB.They argued that genetically modification requirements differ from terrain to terrain and country to country.They feared the imported seed might not perform well in the different weather conditions of the stretched cotton growing area of the country.However, National Bio Safety officers told that BT developed by NIBGE would come in market before the Monsanto BT seed as according to rules minimum three years trial was prerequisite before marketing any GMO and NIBGE has already under trial since one year. Participants strongly criticised Pak EPA for failing to implement laws and regulations regarding illegal sowing of GMOs. Director General Federal Seed Certificate and Registration Department, Dr Akhlaque Hussain said due to lack of resources and political will, laws were not implemented.Participants recommended that GMO activities should be strictly carried out under National Bio Safety rules. The institutions working on GMOs were directed to help National Bio Safety centre in capacity building and implementing rules and regulations in the country.A massive public campaign to educate public about the GMOs was also suggested besides to coop with prevailing food crisis, national Bio Safety centre was directed to initiate genetic modification of other organisms then plants. It was suggested GMOs might be developed to obtain better quality and quantity from poultry and cattle.National Biosafety Centre and PAK-EPA of Ministry of Environment organised the event.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\05\14\story_14-5-2008_pg5_12
By Atif Khan ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Environment, Hameedullah Jan Afridi said on Tuesday Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) products promise to meet the risk of food shortage by enhancing food crop production in prevalent low supply, leading the world to verge of famine. Federal minister at a seminar on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) stressed scientists to fully understand the economic value of agriculture produce particularly cotton, which was the backbone of country’s economy.He said without carrying out proper risk assessment, GMOs could create havoc and adversely effect non-genetically modified or traditional crops by contaminating them. Participants of the seminar termed, lack of rules and regulations regarding genetically modified organisms, the major cause of decrease in cotton crop over years.The imported GMO fruits and vegetables pose a threat to human life in coming generations, they added.Scientists termed decreasing per acre yield of cotton crop and lower quality cotton staple were due to the failure of Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (PAK-EPA) to stop illegal sowing of 39 varieties of BT cotton in 80 percent of the cotton growing area of the country. They said due to poor knowledge farmers of the country were sowing smuggled BT cottonseed, without knowing its origin and roots. They said illegal seed lack qualities and characteristics due to lack of pedigree.Dr Kamran said the palm oil imported from Malaysia might be obtained from GMO, as no scientific method exist in the country to check it.Dr Nuzhat of Centre for Molecular Genetics, University of Karachi said Centre of Excellence in molecular biology (CEMB) and National institute for biotechnology and genetic engineering (NIBGE) has produced several varieties of BT cotton. Participants strongly criticised that why BT cottonseed was imported through multinational company when it was already underdevelopment in NIBGE and CEMB.They argued that genetically modification requirements differ from terrain to terrain and country to country.They feared the imported seed might not perform well in the different weather conditions of the stretched cotton growing area of the country.However, National Bio Safety officers told that BT developed by NIBGE would come in market before the Monsanto BT seed as according to rules minimum three years trial was prerequisite before marketing any GMO and NIBGE has already under trial since one year. Participants strongly criticised Pak EPA for failing to implement laws and regulations regarding illegal sowing of GMOs. Director General Federal Seed Certificate and Registration Department, Dr Akhlaque Hussain said due to lack of resources and political will, laws were not implemented.Participants recommended that GMO activities should be strictly carried out under National Bio Safety rules. The institutions working on GMOs were directed to help National Bio Safety centre in capacity building and implementing rules and regulations in the country.A massive public campaign to educate public about the GMOs was also suggested besides to coop with prevailing food crisis, national Bio Safety centre was directed to initiate genetic modification of other organisms then plants. It was suggested GMOs might be developed to obtain better quality and quantity from poultry and cattle.National Biosafety Centre and PAK-EPA of Ministry of Environment organised the event.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\05\14\story_14-5-2008_pg5_12
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