Gujar GT (editor) - Genetically modified crops in Asia Pacific

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Sep20_01

Most of the Asia Pacific region comprises developing countries. Rural population accounts for ~50%, and more than 20% of the population live in poverty. Nearly half of the worlds food-insecure people and two-thirds of its undernourished people live in this region. Agriculture is overwhelmed with severe limitations like poor agri-infrastructure, technological development and management of natural resources. The Asia Pacific region has emerged as a major importer of food grains, despite being agriculture-intensive. Therefore, it is of great significance to improve agricultural production capacity through scientific and technological innovations to solve the food scarcity in Asia.

Transgenic technology offers great promise for breeding crops selectively with genes of interest isolated from different sources. This is not possible with conventional crop improvement tactics. In 2018, biotech/genetically modified (GM) crops were grown across 191.7 million ha the largest area since their introduction in 1996. These crops have helped to enhance productivity and farm income and to improve environmental quality.

The Asia Pacific region in general lags in the use of biotech/GM technologies, despite the success of GM crops in some of its member nations. India, China, Australia and the Philippines are the major countries growing these crops, while many have approved them for food and feed use. Cultivation of GM crops can help alleviate hunger and malnutrition in the Asia Pacific region, as the UNs sustainable development goal of achieving zero hunger by 2030 remains a challenge.

This book Genetically Modified Crops in Asia Pacific comprehensively reviews the development and commercialisation of GM crops in Asia Pacific countries along with other issues like sustainability, environmental safety, biotechnology policies and regulations. I believe that its publication will help all stakeholders in Asia Pacific countries in the promotion of agricultural production and economy. I congratulate the editors as well as authors for their contributions in this excellent book.

Kongming Wu

Vice President and Professor

Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences

Beijing

20 January 2020

This book Genetically Modified Crops in Asia Pacific is our attempt to contribute to the food security of the region where most of the worlds poor live, among 60% of the global population on 30% of the global land mass. It also represents an immense diversity in terms of food habits, living standards, education, religion, geography and politics. GM crops and other agricultural technologies have emerged as forerunners to protect crops against biotic as well as abiotic stresses. Other traits related to specific nutrients and aesthetic values are also added to these crops through GM technologies. Time and again, elaborate assessments have shown the safety of GM crops (NASEM Report 2016 at http://nas-sites.org/ge-crops/). In 2018, as per ISAAA, biotech crops were planted on 191.7 million hectares in 26 countries, a record increase in area of more than 100-fold, from 1.7 million hectares in 1996. Biotech crops increased crop production by 658 million tons valued at US$186 billion in 19962016, and reduced environmental impact by (i) saving 671 million kg of active ingredients of pesticides in 19962016, (ii) reducing Environmental Impact Quotient by 18.4% in 19962016 and (iii) reducing CO2 emissions in 2016 by 27 billion kg. Biotech crops also helped alleviate poverty through uplifting the economic conditions of 1617 million small farmers and their families, totalling >65 million people (http://www.isaaa.org/resources/publications/briefs/54/).

The developed member nations of the Asia Pacific region have readily accepted GM crops for food, feed and environmental release, with Australia in the lead. The developing member states have cautiously followed this path of crop improvement. No member state has given up on the immense potential of biotechnology for the benefit of its people. Almost every country has faced opposition to GM technology due to its allegedly ill effects on human health and environment, and the possibility of misuse of genetic diversity by technology developers, mostly in the developed nations. Over the years, the international community has played a positive role in mitigating this opposition, with 196 nations becoming party to the Convention on Biological Diversity, 171 nations to the Cartegena Protocol on biosafety and 122 to the Nagoya Protocol on access and benefit sharing. Many member nations of Asia Pacific have accordingly enacted necessary legislation for approval of GM crops, which involved collaboration with the international community to solve locally perceived constraints to achieving higher crop productivity. Development of insect-protective Bt brinjal (eggplant), drought-tolerant sugarcane, insect-resistant rice, late blight resistant GM potato and golden rice are pointers in this direction.