In a country where people fear polio vaccines and are gullible enough to believe that cars can run on water, Genetically Modified (GM) crops are unsurprisingly shrouded in mystery and controversy. Much has been said about GM crops since the introduction of the Seed (Amendment) Bill 2015, which has already sailed through the National Assembly and was recently approved by a Senate committee. This bill, if enacted, will allow the import and commercialisation of GM crops in Pakistan.
Before we delve into the controversial aspects of GM crops, let me bust a big myth and highlight how GM technology is bringing about a new agricultural revolution. Contrary to what many opponents of GM crops claim, the scientific consensus is that GM crops pose no risk to our health. We have been consuming GM foods for more than 40 years and there have not been any proven cases of harm to human health.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently published a report that a herbicide, used by GM crop growers to kill weeds, probably causes cancer. Opponents of GM crops have since then leveraged this to advance their case. However, the threat to human health comes not from the GM crops but from the herbicide. In any case, with more rigorous testing and unbiased evaluations by independent bodies, we can ensure that GM foods are safe for consumption.
Like most other technologies, genetic engineering can be used to protect or damage the environment. On the one hand, there are GM crops that have been designed to withstand herbicides that kill weeds. Recently, some weeds with natural resistance to these herbicides have started emerging. To eliminate these weeds, farmers have to resort to using even greater amounts of herbicides than before. Such excessive use of herbicides can damage the environment. On the other hand, genetically engineered crops illustrate how this technology is making farming more eco-friendly. Geneticists have engineered GM crops to produce a chemical that serves as a pest deterrent but is harmless to humans. This makes such crops better for the environment than conventionally bred varieties because they do not need to be sprayed with insecticides.
Genetic engineering techniques have enabled us to produce crops that are resistant to diseases, pests and natural environmental hazards such as floods and draughts. Not only are these developments increasing crop yields in many countries, they are also enhancing the nutritional quality of foods. For example, to tackle the risk of vitamin A deficiency in people who rely on rice as a staple diet, scientists have engineered a new genetically modified variety called ‘golden rice’ that produces vitamin A.
It is high time for Pakistan to embrace GM technology to feed its growing population. By doing so, we can compete with some of the other developing countries that have already increased their yields through GM seeds. But the big question is whether our country is ready to cultivate the benefits of GM crops. Pakistan currently relies on data that could possibly be biased because it comes from the corporations that produce GM crops. Only by establishing an independent research body that has the capacity to test each GM crop meticulously can we be sure that the seeds and associated products being handed out to farmers are safe. Many local experts are of the opinion that at the moment we do not have well-equipped laboratories to give an informed verdict as to whether or not a GM crop can be commercialised safely.
The Seed Amendment Bill 2015 has been strongly opposed by farmers’ associations; this is perhaps the biggest and most immediate challenge that the government needs to tackle. Many farmers are against this bill because it prohibits them from selling, conserving and exchanging seeds with each other, and forces them to buy new seeds every season. The cost of farming will increase for small farmers if these centuries-old practices are banned. In addition, they are likely to become completely dependent on corporations that apparently want to establish a monopoly in the seed market.
GM crops are not the problem. Environmentalists and food activists need to stop their campaign against GM crops and instead raise their voices to challenge the vile practices of corporations. If these corporations were not working against the interests of the farmers and only introduced safe and eco-friendly crops, the world would have embraced GM crops without any reservations. Let us not give up on what is perhaps the most powerful agricultural technology ever wielded by humans. GM technology is just a few decades old and we have yet to see its full potential.
The writer works at the HRCP and can be contacted at [email protected]