Genetic engineering technology the way to go

Lazarus Sauti

Professor Lucy Ogbadu, an expert in biotechnology, believes tissue culture is one of the most important pre-requisites for the application of genetic engineering – the modification of an organism’s genetic composition by artificial means, often involving the transfer of specific traits, or genes, from one organism into a plant or animal of an entirely different species – for the improvement of crops.

Ogbadu also says the gains and contribution of genetic engineering technology to food security and environmental friendly agricultural practices are well documented and, therefore, contends that equipping scientists with the necessary knowledge to carry out research in this area would go a long way in averting food challenges.

“Frankly, the gains of genetic engineering technology in transforming societies especially in critical areas such as food security are documented. Therefore, scientists should be equipped with relevant and necessary knowledge and skills to enhance their capacity to apply biotechnology in the improvement of cash crops as well as indigenous crop species,” she notes.

Greenpeace International, an independent global campaigning organisation that acts to change attitudes and behaviour, and to protect and conserve the environment, agrees that genetic engineering enables scientists to create plants, animals and micro-organisms by manipulating genes in a way that does not occur naturally.

As a result, and since plant tissue culture is a new technological innovation, countries in the Southern African Development Community must, therefore, build capacities to domesticate it in biotechnology, food safety, crop strengthening and environmental friendly agricultural practices.

“This is about a new technology that is being introduced in many countries across the world and it is an innovation in agriculture. So, it is important that you have your own capacities in biotechnology, food safety, crop strengthening and the likes.” agrees researcher, Ivan Ingelbrecht, of Ghent University, Belgium.

Consequently, countries in the region should embrace genetic engineering technology as an important step to improve capacities in genetic engineering, and in order to increase capacity, the regional bloc should enforce controls that regulate the practice of genetic engineering.

“Without control of it, anybody can practice genetic engineering. This is dangerous,” warns Professor Ogbadu, adding that “countries should craft, on a regional level, frameworks or protocols that deal with biosafety. The frameworks should also enable scientists from the region to practice freely like their counterparts in other developed countries.”

Regional leaders need to embrace an era of multi-stakeholder dialogue, consultation and partnership, especially in the design, implementation and monitoring of these frameworks. They must put the requisite institutional framework that enables and promotes people’s participation in the adoption and proper adoption of genetic engineering.

More so, a holistic and integrated approach is urgently needed to avoid problems. Policy decisions about the use of genetic engineering technology should not be driven by biotechnology industry Public Relations campaigns, but by what science tells about the most cost-effective ways to produce abundant food and preserve the health of farmlands.

Significantly, this calls policy makers to expand research funding for public crop breeding programmes, so that a broad range of non-genetic engineering as well as genetic engineering crop varieties will remain available to the public. Furthermore, public-private collaborations are crucial if the bloc is to effectively embrace genetic engineering, and further develop agroecologically based farming systems.

As many concerns such as allergic reactions, gene mutations, antibiotic resistance, loss of nutrition and environmental damage among others have been raised over the inadequate testing of the effects of genetic engineering on humans and the environment, SADC countries must, therefore, ensure that genetically engineered foods are proven safe before they are sold to the public to avoid such concerns.

However, it is critical to note that while genetic engineering has a great potential to improve crops, it should not be used as justification to turn the environment into a giant genetic experiment by commercial interests, according to Greenpeace International.

“The biodiversity and environmental integrity of the world’s food supply is too important to our survival to be put at risk,” asserts the non-governmental environmental organisation, adding that “biological diversity must be protected and respected as the global heritage of humankind, and one of our world’s fundamental keys to survival.”

SADC governments should, as a matter of priority, attempt to address the threat of genetic engineering with international regulations such as the Biosafety Protocol, an international agreement that seeks to protect biological diversity from the potential risks posed by genetically modified organisms resulting from modern biotechnology.

The Protocol provides that “products from new technologies must be based on the precautionary principle and allow developing nations to balance public health against economic benefits.”