0
KARACHI: The use of biotechnology approach is vital for rapid agriculture development and healthcare in the country, while the potential of biotech crops for the future is enormous. Droughts, floods and temperature changes are predicted to become more prevalent and more severe as we face the new challenges associated with climate change, and hence, there will be a need for faster crop improvement programs.
Pakistan has no national strategy and plan of action to use this revolutionary science.
These views were expressed by Director International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS) Karachi University (KU), Prof Dr. M Iqbal Choudhary on Friday while delivering a lecture at ICCBS.
Giving a reference of ISAAA Brief 42-2010: Executive Summary, focusing on the 2010 biotech crop highlights, he said that biotech crops already contribute to some of the major challenges facing global society, including food security and self-sufficiency, sustainability, alleviation of poverty and hunger, help in mitigating some of the challenges associated with climate change and global warming.
He said, at a time when nations all across the world are multiplying their agriculture productivity, preventing disease prevalence by universal vaccination, and solving the problem of environmental pollution, Pakistan has no national strategy and plan of action to use this revolutionary science for solving or preventing problems and for rapid development. With massive population increase, the nation is leading towards a widespread famine and hunger.
Biotech crops can increase productivity and income significantly, and hence, can serve as an engine of rural economic growth that can contribute to the alleviation of poverty for the world’s small and resource-poor farmers. Several biotech crop tools, including tissue culture, diagnostics, genomics, molecular marker-assisted selection (MAS) and biotech crops can be used collectively for speeding the breeding and help mitigate the effects of climate change.
Dr Choudhary, who also heads the Pakistan Biotechnology Information Center (PABIC) at KU, said that by far the most important potential role of biotech crops will be their contribution to the humanitarian Millennium Development Goals (MDG) of ensuring a secure supply of affordable food and the reduction of poverty and hunger by 50 percent by 2015.
Biotechnology, if used appropriately, has the potential to provide healthier foods, reduce dependence on fossil fuel, and offer more effective cure of prevalent diseases and fatal disease. There is an urgent need for appropriate cost/time-effective regulatory systems that are responsible, rigorous and yet not onerous, requiring only modest resources that are within the means of most developing countries. The challenge for developing countries is how to do a lot with little, he added.
