Biotech Updates

GE Crops are Vital to Meet Food Demand, South Asia Experts Say

September 23, 2015

Genetic engineering crops to increase yield and address the need of increasing population, said experts and officials during the 3rd Annual South Asia Biosafety Conference (SABC) held at Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) Centre in Dhaka, Bangladesh on September 19-20, 2015.

During the conference, Prof. Mesbahuddin Ahmad, president of Bangladesh Academy of Sciences (BAS) highlighted that GE crops are safe and the only answer to meet the increasing demand for food. On the other hand, Dr. Kamal Uddin Ahmed, secretary to the Ministry of Environment and Forests, called for dispelling apprehensions about GE crops because scientific information and research findings have proven their safety.

Sessions on regulation of biotechnology, safety assessment of nutritionally enhanced crops, and biotech R&D in South Asia were held during the conference. The event was organized by South Asia Biosafety Program (SABP) in collaboration with BAS, the Department of Environment (DoE), (BARC), Biotech Consortium India Ltd (BCIL), and National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS), India.

For more details, visit the SABC website or read the article from Daily Star.