The subject of soybean cargoes halted at Karachi port for nearly six weeks has attracted a lot of media scrutiny. The cargo was stopped from offloading after Customs Intelligence flagged the shipments containing genetically modified organisms. These shipments had originated from various exporting origins, including USA, Brazil and Argentina.
According to Pakistan’s existing regulatory framework, the approval for import of any commodity derived from genetically engineered products requires approval from National Biosafety Committee (NBC), an inter-ministerial body headed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), an autonomous agency under the federal ministry of climate change (MoCC).
It is claimed that unregulated shipments of goods derived from genetically engineered products have been imported into Pakistan for the past two decades. Some of Pakistan’s highest grossing import items in the import bill may have been produced from genetically engineered products. These include soybean and canola edible oil in crude form; soybean, rapeseed, and canola meals and oilcake; cotton fiber; dried distillery grains (DDGs). According to BR Research, Pakistan’s estimated import bill of GMO based products is in the vicinity of four to five billion dollars ($4Bn- $5Bn), annually.
Till date, none of the concerned forums whether NBC, EPA, or MoCC have regularized the import of biotech plants material into the country. Biotechnology is used as an overarching term for all genetically engineered products using various techniques such as genetic modification, gene editing, etc.
GMO cultivation across the globe
Various countries and jurisdictions operate under vastly differing frameworks for biotechnology. Countries such as United States of America (USA), where the technology originated, have commercialized biotech trade at a massive scale. Out of nearly 200 million hectares of land cultivated under genetically modified crops across the globe every year, USA accounts for over 70 million hectares; followed by Brazil at 56 million hectares; and Argentina at 26 million hectares; Canada at 12 million hectares; and India at 11.5 million hectares.
Other countries with smaller area under GMO cultivation include China (3 Mn Ha); Pakistan (2 Mn Ha); Australia (0.9 Mn Ha); Viet Nam, Philippines; Indonesia; Bangladesh; Colombia; Mexico; South Africa among others. In total, over 30 countries have grown 2.7 billion hectares under GMO crops since 1996, according to ISAAA an international coalition for promotion of biotechnology.
Of these 30 nations, many such as Pakistan, India, Mexico, Sudan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Malawi, Eswatini, and Myanmar have only allowed cultivation of genetically modified or Bt. Cotton, which is primarily used for its non-fiber use. However, cottonseed contributes up to five percent of global edible oil supply, and a similar share of global oilseed meal consumption, which is used as source of animal feed. As such, GMOs are a part of animal feed processing in almost all countries that allow cultivation of Bt. cotton, including China.
Market acceptance
Countries across the world have taken significantly different views of biotechnology, especially when it comes to human consumption and its environmental impact. Historically, member states of European Union as well as Russian Federation have taken a highly unfavorable view of biotechnology, and discourage their commercialization through various political, regulatory, and fiscal means. In comparison, the USA – where many of the top seed research multinationals are housed – has taken up the mantle of promoting the technology across the globe. Meanwhile, although China has a favorable view towards the technology, the country has banned all foreign investment into domestic biotech development, instead relying on local R&D to develop biotech varieties over 30 crops.
Trade
However, that has not stopped GMO based crops from being exported and consumed all over the world. By conservative estimates, at least 60 countries across the world import genetically modified products, especially for use in animal feed. According to one estimate, global GMO trade is valued up to $150 billion, primarily consisting of soybean, corn, canola, and cotton. Despite rank opposition to the hegemony of US biotech companies, EU and China are one of the world’s largest importers of soybean, the primary source of protein for livestock feed – cattle, poultry, and hogs. Even destinations such as Russia allow entry of GMO products under various circumstances.
Over half of global trade in crops such as soybean, corn, and canola is of genetically derived products. Although many jurisdictions demand explicit declarations that import are genetically modified or (derived of) products, others have taken a more lenient approach.
Way Forward
Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, 2000 requires that exporting countries label shipments that contain genetically altered products, major exporters such as USA and Canada are yet to ratify the treaty, and as such are under no legal obligation to do so. However, jurisdictions from China to EU and GCC countries have implemented explicit labeling and declaration regimes. Thus, exporters from USA are required to label GMO products as such, even if local laws do not require so. In other cases, they may also obtain a onetime approval for import of GMO based products that in turn remains valid permanently.
Pakistan can look towards the various forms of regulations followed in jurisdictions of interest. While many jurisdictions require that importers must obtain permit for import of products that contain genetically modified organisms, others such as Bangladesh and South Africa have followed a more scientific approach. These two countries instead grant approval for each GMO event – that is, each time a new GMO variant is approved for use in food or feed processing. South East Asian countries are particularly shining examples of science-based approach to GMOs. For example, instead of allowing blanket approval for import of protein crops such as soybean, Bangladesh instead focused on developing Bt. eggplant, the genetically modified variant of the vegetable, popular in local cuisine as a plant-based source of proteins. Meanwhile, countries such as Philippines, Viet Nam and others focused on development of GMO rice; given the cereal is the primary energy/carbohydrates source for millions in the region.
In the accompanied table, BR Research has made an effort to document the regulatory framework governing GMO trade in various jurisdictions of interest for Pakistani readers.
Comments
Comments are closed.