Pursuing a sustainable path of development, biotechnology helps in addressing global challenges of producing more with less resource with a view to doubling food production on same or less inputs in changing climatic conditions in order to feed projected around 10 billion populations by year 2050. Keeping in view positive impacts of genetically engineered plants, as many as 29 countries of world cultivated biotech crops till 2011. Since introduction of biotech crops, genetically modified produce contributed to food security, sustainability and climate change by increasing crop production valued at $78.4 billion, providing a better environment by pesticides use and reducing carbon emissions. It also leads to conserve biodiversity by saving 91 million hectares of land and helped alleviate poverty by helping 15 million small farmers. Biotech crops are essential but are not a panacea and adherence to good farming practices such as rotations and resistance management are a must for biotech crops as they are for conventional crops. This was the crux of the presentation made by foreign experts at a seminar titled ‘International Perspective about the Future Biotech Crops’ arranged by the Agricultural Journalists’ Association (AJA) Lahore. Dr Rhodora Aldemita, Senior Programme Officer Global Knowledge Center on Crop Biotechnology and Dr Mariechel Navarro, Manager of the same programme shared their views on topics such as Biotech Crops, Global Impact and Future Prospects, Myths versus realities and issues regarding food and environment safety, media representation of science: how print and visual communicators define Biotechnology and challenges in communicating agricultural biotechnology: the BT corn experience in Philippines. These experts are working under International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA). A good number of journalists from print and electronic media covering agricultural sector in Lahore and Islamabad attended the capacity-building media workshop, which turned out to be a debate on this much talked about issue. Speaking on the occasion, AJA President Munawar Hasan stressed the need of carrying out healthy debate on biotechnology in order to dispel much touted impression about its ill-effects, if any. Free flow of information is a key in this regard, he said and adding we should not merely say that political consideration or vested interest propels anti-biotechnology campaign. He observed that scientific evidence should openly be shared to support case of biotechnology.
