GM crops cause no harmful impact on environment: experts

The introduction of genetically modified (GM) crops in Pakistan has confirmed that GM crops have no harmful impact on environment and no such crops came in the market without risk assessment. Experts told Business Recorder here on Monday that the environmental friendly technology of the GM crops would benefit the environment, increase the productivity and improve the livelihood of farmers.
They said that the most common intricate and emotive debate growing in the communities now days is about the environment impact of genetically modified (GM) crops. Over the years, numerous researchers have indicated that genetically modified crops have no harmful impact on the environment but still some show their concerns regarding environment. According to industry experts, No GM crop has ever come in the market without its risk assessment. After number of field trials and evaluations at the research areas these crops also pass through rigorous regulatory reviews and only after their approval these are commercialized. During this process, GM crops are also thoroughly evaluated for environmental effects and stakeholders assess the biotech crops for any risks to the environment.
The major problems faced by our environment are growing population, global warming and loss of biodiversity. They all have an enormous impact on our environment. By year 2050, there will be 9.5 billion people living on this planet and without adopting modern technologies, feeding these people will require plantation on a lot more land. Cropland and population are not uniformly distributed and this situation is further worsened by destroying cropland due to erosion, fewer renewable resources, less water and massive urbanization, experts said. Global warming has increased due to the continuous use of fossil fuels and the destruction of wilderness and forests. Keeping in mind the global warming conditions it is predicted that the average global temperature will rise. It is evident that climate change will alter rainfall patterns and therefore require the migration of people and shifts in agricultural practices. Keeping in view the current conditions and future predictions it is very important to ensure that future food requirements come at least from cropland currently in use. Studies carried out since the introduction of GM technology report that instead of any environmental damage, there are lot of positive impacts of GM crops on the environment. One of the significant environmental benefits of GM crops is the reduction in pesticide use. A study assessing the global economic and environmental impacts of biotech crops for the first twenty years (1996-2015) of adoption showed that the technology has reduced pesticide spraying by 6191 million kg and has reduced environmental footprint associated with pesticide use by 18.6%.
Experts told that though there have been research reports analyzing the potential risks of biotech crops on the environment but not a single proven case of environmental damage has been reported since the introduction of technology. Instead this is one of the rigorously evaluated technologies and hence its safety to the environment and human health has been proven. Based on the evaluations, it is safe to claim that this technology is environmental friendly and has the potential to benefit the environment, increase the productivity and improve the livelihood of farmers, experts added.