LAHORE: Participants of the consultative meeting on GMO maize approval have voiced strong opposition to commercialization, citing risks to food security and export trade
According to working paper prepared in the light of minutes of the 45th meeting of Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), which was held on June 10 under the chairpersonship of DG, Pak-EPA, provincial representatives, researchers and environmental regulators urge extreme caution about granting permission to cultivation of GMO maize.
Dr. Nasir A Saeed, Director NIBGE/Vice Chairperson TAC recalled that the suspension of GM maize licenses back in 2019 was based on the key consideration that maize is a highly cross-pollinated crop, making it difficult to prevent gene flow and potential contamination of non-GM maize varieties. Besides, Pakistan already achieves maize yields exceeding 100 maunds per acre in certain areas; therefore, the necessity of introducing GM maize requires careful consideration.
Moreover, several local companies engaged in the export of maize and value-added maize products to European markets have expressed concerns regarding the commercialization of GM maize, as their exports may be adversely affected due to the preference for GM-free products in Europe.
Lastly, according to Dr. Nasir A Saeed, national security agencies had raised concerns that dependence on imported GM seed technology could pose risks to national agricultural production in the event of disruptions to seed supply chains.
