All about GMOs crops grown in pakistan

2. Name: Mohsin Mukhtar
Father Name: Mukhtar Ahmad
Reg No: 2015-ag-7287
Course Title: Biosafety measures in GMOs
Course code: PBG-413
Department : Plant Breeding and Genetics
UAF-SUB Campus Burewala

3. Status of Genetically Modified Crops in Pakistan

4. What is a GMO?
Introduction to Genetically modified Organisms
 History
Importance of GMOs
World GMOs Status
Why GMOs crop needed in Pakistan
GMOs in Pakistan
Status of Genetically modified crops in Pakistan
GMOs Rice
Conventions and Protocol
OVER VIEW

5. What is a GMO?
 Transgenic: A gene is moved from one non closely related
species to another closely related species.
 Cisgenic: A gene is within the same species or a closely
related species to another closely related species.
 Subgenic: A gene is edited to amplify, delete, insert, silence
or repress the gene.

6. Introduction to Genetically modified Organisms
 A GMO (genetically modified organism) is the result of a laboratory process of
taking genes from one species and inserting them into another in an attempt to
obtain a desired trait or characteristic, hence they are also known as transgenic
organisms.
 This process may be called either Genetic Engineering (GE) or Genetic
Modification (GM); they are one and the same.
 Organisms that have been genetically modified include micro-organisms such as
bacteria and yeast, plants, fish, and mammals.

7. Genetically modified organism
 A genetically modified organism is one whose genetic
material has been altered using genetic engineering.
 Genetically modified organisms or GMOs, are commonly
used in foods and medicines. This has led to concern about
the dangers they might cause to the environment and to
human health.

8. How it modified?
 Eliminating, modifying or adding copies of specific genes often from
other organisms through modern molecular biology techniques.
 Other names:
 Recombinant DNA(rDNA)
 Genetic engineering
 Gene splicing

9. History
1972 – 1st rDNA molecule produced
•1977 – Gene tech use rDNA to make insulin
•1982 – Monsanto bovine growth hormones use in cow increase milk
production
•1987 – 1st outdoor field test of GMO “Frostban” bacteria
•1987 – National academy of science concluded transferring genes
between species no serious environment hazard
•1992 – USDA approves “flavrsavr” tomatoes - calgene
•1996 – Monsanto introduce round up ready soybeans

10. Breeders sometimes have to cross ,many plants
over multiple generation have to produce
desired trait.
GM technique allow a new trait to be introduced
one at a time without complication from extra
genes and extensive cross breeding.
GM organisms allow traits from different
organism to be applied such as pest resistance.
Importance of GMOs

11.  The genetically modified organisms can help in food production,
drought resistance, climate change mitigation and disease
resistance, but in addition it may produce number of threats at
gene, individual, population and ecosystem level. They can also
have an impact on the agro industry of developing countries.
The GMOs can be complementary to the traditional crops but by
no means can they replace the traditional crops. The world must
ensure that the standards are followed in using the GMOs and
are being continuously monitored.
Importance of GMOs

12.  The developing countries like Pakistan should
ensure strong scientific capacity and research based
approach in the field of genetically modified
organisms.
The Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency
should fully concentrate and equip their manpower
in growing emerging technology (biotechnology),
and they must completely analyze risk assessment
before introducing GM from other countries.
Importance of GMOs

13.  Furthermore, Pakistan must concentrate on
synthetic biology as an alternative to the
emerging field of biotech-nology, as it poses least
risk as compared to traditional biotechnology.
The European Union and USA also promote its
expertise in synthetic biology. Therefore, it is need
of the hour to promote the research in this area in
Pakistan as a powerful replacement to traditional
biotechnology.

14.  Few multinational biotech companies holding the GM market
(Monsanto, Novartis, Syngenta, Dupont, Bayer)
 Main producers: USA, Argentina, Canada, Brazil
 35 GMOs on market in European Union
 GM food: tomato, potato, soybean, corn, wheat
World GMOs Status

16. AGRICULTURE BASED COUNTRY
 Pakistan is an agriculture based country with more than
47% of its population dependent on agriculture as a
means of livelihood.
 This sector contributes 24% to gross domestic product
(GDP). Agriculture alone contributes about 70% of its
foreign exchange. Unless it maintains stable growth
rates, its economy will suffer immensely.

17.  Pakistan is an agricultural supplier that not only
meets its requirements but also exports crop to few
countries which involves our neighbor countries, as
well as the Middle East and several Central Asian
Republics.
 However, over the recent years, Pakistan is facing
some serious challenges on the horizon of which
drought, salinity, stress and climate changes are the
most important ones.
AGRICULTURE BASED COUNTRY

18.  All these issues have raised questions over the food security issues in
Pakistan and other parts of the world. The population of Pakistan is
about 180 million which is estimated to rise to 240 million by the
year 2035. To tackle these challenges, one approach that has been
used in the world and to some extent in Pakistan is the genetically
modified organisms.
AGRICULTURE BASED COUNTRY

19.  GMOs prepared in Pakistan: Tomato, Rice
sugarcane, soybean, cotton.
 No standards for GM food in Pakistan.
 Insufficient scientific certainty about safety of GM
food.
 GM food mixed with non-GM food.
 No government policy for labeling.
 Presently, no government initiative for awareness
on GMOs.
GMOs in Pakistan

20. STATUS OF GMOS IN PAKISTAN
 Pakistan Ranked 7th among 26 countries growing GMOs
crops in the world.
 Pakistan had achieved optimal adoption insect resistant
variety last year (2017) reaching 2.9mha out of 3mha 97%
of total cropped area part of ICCBS report
 This report says there are 72,5000 small hold farmer
growing the BT cotton in 2016.
 The only GM crop approved and grown in Pakistan is the
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton.

21.  The regions in which Bt cotton was grown included
Bahawalpur, Multan, Muzaffer Garh and Karor Pakka,
and the farmers tested these crops against its
resistance and susceptibility to different insects high
temperature, drought and yield and then compared it
with traditional cotton varieties grown in similar
areas.
STATUS OF GMOS IN PAKISTAN

22.  There have been few benefits observed by the farmers of these regions and it could
be concluded from the results that the GM crops may solve a few issues of
Pakistan, such as enhanced production and disease resistance. cotton mainly
grown in the southern Punjab.
 GMO in Pakistan is negligible. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton is only GM crop
in Pakistan.
 Though GMO has disadvantages too, but careful usage can reduce malnutrition in
Pakistan.
STATUS OF GMOS IN PAKISTAN

23.  Many GMO projects were announced at 32nd
China Pakistan Economic Corridor, CPEC
Conference at Marriot hotel Islamabad but
practically nothing has been done so far.
 Government must take practical initiatives in this
regard, as this very technology will exponentially
increase the economy of the country.
Status of GMOs in Pakistan

24. BT-Cotton

25.  Recently a Pakistani scientist, Dr. Fida Abbasi has
developed a new rice strains which is able to
increase the rice production of the country.
 By applying this technology the number of
grains per panicle of rice plant had been increased
from 250 to 700.
GENETICALLY MODIFIED RICE

26.  According to him, the production had been increased
from 5 tons per hectare to 15 tons per hectare, while
new strains of rice was 6 feet tall with a thick stem,
large and heavy panicle of 50 centimeters and would
bear 700 grains.
 He claimed such kind of rice does not exist in the
world and this rice could be grown by using less water.
It is to be mentioned here that Pakistan is the world’s
fourth largest producer of rice after china, India and
Indonesia
GM RICE

27. National Bio-safety guidelines in Pakistan prepared in
November 1999 by National Biosafety Committee
 Only one consultative meeting held in January 2001
 Executive meeting held in January 2005 chaired by the
Prime Minister
CONVENTIONS AND PROTOCOL

28.  Pakistan has also notified the Pakistan Biosafety
rules on 21st April, 2005 in order to get the
maximum benefits from the GMO technology but at
the same time ensuring the safety of humans and the
environment.
 These rules are responsible to govern the
manufacture, import and storage of genetically
modified organisms.
CONVENTIONS AND PROTOCOL

29. National Biosafety Guidelines is built on the following three tiers;
(1) National Biosafety Committee (NBC)
(2) Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)
(3) Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)

30.  The secretary, Ministry of Environment, is responsible to head the National
Biosafety Center and looks after the laboratory work, field trial,
commercial release, export, import, sale and purchase of GMOs and their
products.
 Pakistan has fulfilled all the documentation procedure at the perspectives of
Cartagena protocol. The Ministry of Environment developed the guidelines
for GMOs in May 2005 to organize laboratory research, field studies and
commercial release of GMOs and their products.

31.  There are certain benefits associated with
growing GM crops as compared to the traditional
crops.
Herbicide tolerance.
 Disease resistance.
Drought tolerance.
 salinity tolerance.
Overcoming malnutrition.
Carbon sink and climate change
Advantages of GMOs

32.  There are a number of risks associated with
biotechnology.
 Allergenicity.
 Unintended harm to other organisms.
 Gene transfer to non-target species.
 Effect on population and ecosystem.
DISADVANTAGES OF GMOS

33.  Interaction with non-alien (natural)
species.
 Loss of ecosystem services.
 Impact on agro industry production
system.
 Market based dependency and food
security.
 Economic / export loss concerns.
 Religious and ethical values.
DISADVANTAGES OF GMOS