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Advisory / BIOTECHNOLOGY

BIOTECHNOLOGY An Excellence of Nature

"... As technological innovation has always played an important role in meeting human food needs since the dawn of agriculture. And if we look forward to the new century, the benefits of the technological innovations of the last century—mechanization, hybridization, chemical fertilizers and pesticides—are beginning to wane. 

However, the technologies of the new century—biotechnology and information technology—will reinvigorate productivity and growth in food and agriculture production and to make agriculture sector more environmentally sustainable. 

In depth, Biotechnology is a technological innovation comprising many new biological techniques and applications. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) of United Nations defines biotechnology as: 

"any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use". 

In broad sense, biotechnology covers many of the tools and techniques that are common place in agriculture, food production, pharmaceutical and medical sciences. While in narrow sense, it considers only the new DNA techniques, molecular biology and reproductive technological applications, the definition covers a range of different technologies such as gene manipulation, gene transfer, DNA typing and cloning of plants and animals. 

Food & Agriculture Organization of United nations recognizes that the field of genetic engineering has the potential to help in increased production and productivity in agriculture, forestry and fisheries. It could lead to higher yields on marginal lands in countries that today are not self sufficient in food to meet the local needs. There are already examples where genetic engineering is helping to reduce the transmission of human and animal diseases through new vaccines. Rice has been genetically engineered to contain pro-vitamin A (beta carotene) and iron, which could improve the health of many low-income communities. 

Other biotechnological methods have led to organisms that improve food quality and consistency, or that clean up oil spills and heavy metals in fragile ecosystems. Tissue culture has produced plants that are increasing crop yields by providing farmers with healthier planting material. Marker-assisted selection and DNA fingerprinting allow a faster and much more targeted development of improved genotypes for all living species. They also provide new research methods, which can assist in the conservation and characterization of biodiversity. The new techniques will enable scientists to recognize and target quantitative trait loci and thus increase the efficiency of breeding for some traditionally intractable agronomic problems such as any stress resistance (Drought attack, Salt threat, Insect pest and Disease management…etc) and improved root systems. 


Potential risks posed by certain aspects of biotechnology 



1- The effects on human and animal health and 

2.The environmental consequences. 

Caution must be exercised in order to reduce the risks of transferring toxins from one life form to another, of creating new toxins or of transferring allergenic compounds from one species to another, which could result in unexpected allergic reactions. Risks to the environment include the possibility of outcrossing, which could lead, for example, to the development of more aggressive weeds or wild relatives with increased resistance to diseases or environmental stresses, upsetting the ecosystem balance. Biodiversity may also be lost, as a result of the displacement of traditional cultivars by a small number of genetically modified cultivars. So following measures are helpful to tackle this threat: 


Cautious case-by-case approach to address legitimate concerns for the biosafety of each product or process prior to its release. 

The possible effects on biodiversity, environment and food safety need to be evaluated. And the extent to which the benefits of the product or process outweigh. 

So careful monitoring of the post-release effects of these products and processes is also essential to ensure their continued safety to human beings, animals and the environment. 

Furthermore, the concerned quarters of the government should strive to determine the potential benefits and possible risks associated with the application of modern technologies to increase plant and animal productivity and production. 


Future Concerns


1- As current investment in biotechnological research tends to be concentrated in the private sector and oriented towards agriculture in higher-income countries where there is no concern of purchasing power for its products. In view of the potential contribution of biotechnologies for increasing food supply and overcoming food insecurity and vulnerability, FAO considers that efforts should be made to ensure that developing countries, in general, and resource-poor farmers, in particular, get benefit more from biotechnological research, while continuing to have access to a diversity of sources of genetic material. And solution to this need is possible only through increased public funding, dialogue between the public and private sectors, mutual relationship between the countries capable of advanced technology and developing countries to transfer sophisticated Labs and also involving training of their man power from lower to higher level. 

2- Government should develop a Code of Conduct on Biotechnology aimed at maximizing the benefits of modern biotechnology and minimizing its risks (GENETIC EROSION & BIODIVERSITY DEPLETION…ETC). The Code will be based on scientific considerations and will take into account the environmental, socio-economic social and ethical implications of biotechnology. 

3- Involvement of the private sector to combat the lack of resources. 

4- To enhance the basic research in biotechnology 

5- Strengthening of the present infrastructure 


Furthermore, I strongly think that biotechnology itself will not solve problems, especially in developing countries. Some other solutions (social, economical, political) need to be adopted before, or simultaneously with, the implementation of biotech approaches. Because of that, we should encourage the development of basic research for the development and use of GE materials only in those cases where no other conventional or traditional approach would bring a solution for the problem to be tackled. 

I strongly agree with the point to keep agricultural systems without GE organisms until the risks of their introduction will be better known. By the way, the developed countries, where selective and increasingly more careful and truly informed consumers do not want to buy GM-foods, are seen in most cases that biotech companies from the same countries are putting pressure on the poor countries to introduce and use GM materials in order to produce "better" food. 

6- Government departments interact closely to ensure complete food and feed safety by establishing both safety requirements for genetically modified products as well as conducting safety reviews of these products. 

7- Labeling: As a case of canola oil which has been genetically modified to have reduced saturated fatty acids, this type of modification represents a compositional change to the oil and therefore, the label would have to state the compositional change as well as the fact that the product was produced through genetic engineering. But extra costs and inconvenience of unnecessary labeling should be avoided to save the ultimate users from extra paying. 

8- Another important area of emphasis for government regulators is that of potential safety concerns which may arise through the introduction by genetic modification of protein allergens. The transfer of proteins from one plant source to another may increase the allergic potential of the host plant. Therefore, if an allergen may be present in a food, not only will the label state that the product has been genetically engineered but would also be required to state the nature of the introduced protein. 


To Create awareness


For instance, together with the World Health Organization, FAO provides the secretariat to the Codex Alimentarius Commission that has just established an ad hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived from Biotechnologies, in which government-designated experts will develop standards, guidelines or recommendations, as appropriate, for foods derived from biotechnologies or traits introduced into foods by biotechnological methods. The Codex Alimentarius Commission is also considering the labelling of foods derived from biotechnologies to allow the consumer to make an informed choice. The same type of commissions in the developing countries including Pakistan should be appointed which would see the hazardous implications of the biotechnological products. Awareness among the GM crops growers and users should be created through seminars, workshops & field days involving the core departments & agriculture Extension department. It is obvious that the more people know, the more they support biotechnology 


Syed Aleem Raza Zaidi
M Sc (Hons) PBG 
(Former Agri Officer (Ext)