Experts call for collaboration to expand biotechnology

Agriculture experts yesterday called to strengthen collaboration among stakeholders to speed up biotechnological research and development efforts, aiming to ensure food security for Bangladesh's growing population.
“We have done many things to expand biotechnological activities. But we have to go a long way to ensure food security,” said Cabinet Secretary M Abdul Aziz.
His call came at a workshop where discussants observed that dependence on food production based on high yielding varieties (HYVs), a result of Green Revolution, will not be sufficient to feed the increasing population of Bangladesh amid gradual agricultural land losses every year.
At the same time, climate change also poses challenges for agriculture, which according to participants, calls for adoption of modern biotechnology to enhance production.
“Our food requirement is going to double by the year 2035. Our land is declining, population increasing -- hence the demand for food,” said Aziz.
Under the circumstance, Bangladesh should opt for expanding biotechnology to boost food production, he told the workshop.
Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (Barc) and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) organised the programme at Barc to mark completion of a project on 'Formulation of Enabling Regulatory Measures for Research and Sustainable Application of Biotechnology'.
Chaired by Barc Executive Chairman Dr Wais Kabir, the workshop was also addressed by Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture Quazi Akhtar Hossain and FAO Representative in Bangladesh Ad Spijkers.
Discussants said biotech research is at initial stage in Bangladesh. To boost biotech research and development, the government earlier approved the National Policy on Biotechnology. The bio-safety guideline was also given a go-ahead.
The cabinet secretary said Bangladesh should be quick to adopt biotechnology in agriculture.
“When other countries are taking benefit of biotechnology, we should not sit idle and become a victim of gene divide,” he said.
Referring to media reports and the opposition of environmental activists, he said a mere dependence on environment will not help attain food security.
“We must not subscribe to the idea that GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) is bad. We are not saying that all GMOs are good and all GMOs are bad. It is a bad crop science.”
The FAO representative stressed the need for better breeding programmes to increase food production.
The Barc chief said Bangladesh should tap the potential of biotechnology to allow agriculture to face multidimensional challenges in the days ahead.