PAS convenes National Dialogue on Biotechnology as a strategic response to climate change and food security crisis

ISLAMABAD, Apr 07 (APP):Emphasizing the urgent need to harness biotechnology to address climate change and ensure national food security, the Pakistan Academy of Sciences (PAS) organized a one-day National Dialogue on “Biotechnology – A Strategic Tool to Address Climate Change and National Food Security” on Tuesday.

The event was inaugurated by Ms. Aisha Humera Chaudhry, Federal Secretary, Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination.

In his opening remarks, Prof. Dr. Kauser Abdullah Malik (HI, SI, TI), President of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences, underscored the core objectives of the dialogue, to spotlight biotechnology innovations relevant to Pakistan’s agricultural landscape, to facilitate constructive policy conversations around responsible innovation, and to examine the evolving food security dynamics across the crop, poultry, and livestock sectors.

The technical sessions featured perspectives from government and industry, with key speakers including Mr. Ahmed Umair, Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Agriculture and Food Security; Prof. Dr. Asif Ali, Chairman of the National Seed Development and Regulatory Authority (NSDRA); and Mr. Shahzad Ali Malik, CEO of Guard Agri Pvt. Limited, all reinforcing a shared message: biotechnology, including transgenomics and genome editing, is not a luxury but an absolute necessity.

The high-level Panel Session on Biotechnology and Pakistan’s Food Security Future, moderated by Dr. Yusuf Zafar, Vice President of the Pakistan Central Cotton Committee, saw seven distinguished panelists representing institutions including the University of Agriculture Faisalabad, the Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, NIGAB-NARC, CropLife Pakistan, and the Pakistan Poultry Association, deliberating on achievements, challenges, and solutions across their respective sub-sectors.

Among the key recommendations that emerged: the government must urgently approve the long-pending National Agriculture Biotechnology Policy and National Seed Policy; the Biosafety Rules Amendment must be reviewed and approved; critical gaps in biotechnology investment, public-private partnerships, and regulatory clarity around new breeding technologies must be addressed without further delay.

The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Prof. Dr. Muhammad Aslam Baig (HI, SI, TI), Secretary General of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences, who noted that the strong hybrid attendance, both physical and online, was itself a testament to the national importance of the biotechnology agenda in confronting the twin crises of climate change and food insecurity.