Daily Times

The American Society of Plant Biologists, an international body working on the advancement of plant sciences, organised a workshop on Risk assessment of Genetically Modified Crops held at the Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB) of Punjab University on Monday.

Speakers covered a wide array of topics including science, commerce and environmental aspects of Genetically Modified (GM) crops.

While highlighting the environmental risk assessment of GM crops, Monsanto Pakistan’s Regulatory Affairs & Stewardship Lead Muhammad Asim explained, “There are more than 1,000 scientific studies on GM safety with zero recorded instances of associated health and safety hazards in over 20 years of commercial sale.”

He further added, “It is not just the scientific research that backs the environmental benefits of growing GM crops, but the evidence itself shows how biotechnology has significantly contributed towards environmental preservation. In 2017 alone, biotech helped prevent an estimated 27.1 billion kilogrammes of Carbon Dioxide emissions.”

Apart from an environmental perspective, GM crops also offer sustainable solutions for ensuring food security. Today’s world dilemma revolves around producing more food for the rapidly growing population while relying on depleting natural resources. According to the United Nation’s estimates, world population is projected to increase by 50 percent by the year 2050. Given several additional challenges associated with climate change, land availability and water scarcity, modern and efficient agriculture practices will need to be employed to grow more with fewer resources.

CEMB Director Professor Dr Tayyab Hasnain stated, “The academia and industry collectively need to raise awareness about the advancements in modern agriculture to counter misconceptions hindering agricultural growth. It’s time we save our natural resources by relying on scientifically backed solutions that not only offer higher yields but also prevent environmental degradation”.

Commercial GM crops have been grown since 1996 and are grown in 30 countries. In 2017, millions of farmers in 24 countries grew a record 469 million acres of GM crops. They have led to dramatic improvements in food and fiber production, as well as more sustainable farming practices.

Published in Daily Times, July 31^st 2018.