For the last two decades, Pakistan has faced several challenges, such as drought, salinity, temperature, climate change, and an increasing population, causing food security issues to rise. The use of biotechnological approaches in agriculture to fulfill the desired need is one of the solutions. Still, the public is reluctant to use GM crops due to several reasons, including cultural aspects and traditional values.
Pakistan is bound by the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Cartagena Protocol and enacted its own biosafety rules in 2005. Also, the Ministry of Environment has developed a few guidelines proposed by the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). But still, risk assessment is not properly done by the Pakistan Environment Protection Agency (PEPA) regarding GMOs.
These areas need to be addressed as soon as possible to feed the ever-growing population of the country and face the economic disruption. With the passage of time and improving awareness, acceptance of GMOs has been enhanced because of the availability of much cheaper food.
The provision of adequate information among farmer communities and the public is important. Clear policies and guidelines must be provided by the government of Pakistan to ensure the adoption of safety protocols and regulations.
