BY ABEBE WOLDE GIORGIS
Agriculture is the main stay of the economy as it serves as a means of living for about 80 percent of the population. It supplies input for the growing manufacturing sector and generates foreign currency. But as it is subsistence and rain fed the country still suffers from food insecurity.
Some argue that improving agriculture without utilizing agricultural technology is unthinkable. Others suggest that, utilizing the technology should prioritize the conventional way of research and breeding which considers sustaining biodiversity.
“Understanding biodiversity is essential before talking about biotechnology. It has three components namely ecosystems, specious and genes says Sebsibe Demissie, Professor of plant and crop studies at Addis Ababa University.
For example, Mt Entoto, Semien and Bale as well as Lakes Zway and Tana have their own ecosystems. There are various specious such as trees, plants, birds and microbes living in the ecosystems.
The availability of air, sunlight and their interaction determines the existence of biodiversity. It is not number which determines diversity rather the interaction of many factors with in them. Each gene with in specious harmonizes the existence of biodiversity.
Biodiversity is a source of food, medicine, air and fresh water to human beings. Based on experience and knowledge farmers have protected biodiversity for thousands of years. Currently the nation is signatory to international conventions related to protecting biodiversity.
Farmers have a long history of domesticating teff for food by selecting from grass specious. They also domesticated animals and using their milk and meet for consumption.
According to Sebsibe, to modernize agriculture utilizing the rich traditional knowledge as input to the maximum level is essential. He also said that using biotechnology is essential but it should be understood that it is not the only solution and protecting biodiversity should not be put in question.
Dr. Teklehaimanot Hailasilasie is an Associate Professor in the Addis Ababa University Biotechnology Institute. He said, when looking its definition, biotech developed from plants in our surrounding areas, animals and microbes to serve human beings. But using the technology should not degrade and compromise the existence of nature. Biotech itself serves the protection of biodiversity.
Many assume that, transgenic organisms pose the extinction of biodiversity but according to Teklehaimanot, the first researched GMO breeds were planted 20 years ago but there is no evidence that whether the transgenic or biotech products negatively impacted biodiversity.
No one produced evidence that, BT cotton or BT maize affected the environment. No person’s health is threatened by GMO. One can prove this by asking the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change.
Some suggest that, through pollination transgenic plants gene might mix with other genetically keen plants so that invasive specious might be created but still no evidence is produced for such argument.
However, natural breeding is common and there are specious that naturally hybridize with maize. Hence hybrid is not harmful and serves as source of biotechnological innovation with the combination of experience. Most wheat farms are cultivated through natural hybridization.
While explaining the difference between conventional breeding and that of the transgenic one Tekelehimanot said that, earlier experimentation took place between similar specious for producing better output. But the cutting-edge biotechnology enables to identify which gene can improve other gene’s behavior from similar specious or other and serves to take out the better gene and transplanting to other.
The transplanted gene can make the hybrid plant to resist diseases and improve the nutrition content of the crop. Hybridization of plants through conventional way takes generation’s long study and research. Supplying the product takes very long time but through the transgenic, it can be done with in short period of time. When this happens, no impact is observed on the environment.
Professor Sebsibe on his part said that, he has his own reservation with regard to Teklehimanot’s assertion that GMO plants have no negative impact on biodiversity. He further said that, currently BT maize and BT cotton are on field trial and there are 5 indigenous cotton plants and it is unknown whether the BT plants have negative impact on the indigenous or not.
It is proved that BT cotton and maize protect itself by consuming the worm which harms the plant. The bacillus strident comes from bacteria inside the soil to protect plants from pest.
But as to Sebsibe, it is hard to prove that whether it affects other organisms or not. It is also impossible to know one marks man accurately hit his target or not. If there are rules and regulations while BT experiment is conducted, it is possible to control the negative impact but if the GMO intrudes the biodiversity, it is hard to predict what will happen.
As to Teklehimanot, to be clear, first one must know that, the Genetically Modified Organism experimental procedures. It begins from need assessment.
The issue that which crop must be modified in order to ensure the nation’s food security and boost the economy is the priority agenda. The experiment begins in the laboratory based on this need assessment. Side effects would be studied. Whether the transgenic crop is stable or stays for long is examined. The issue that for how many generations it stays alive also examined. Again, after the experimentation conducted
in greenhouse the experiment again moves to the confined field trial.
After critical securitization by the pertinent institutions the product is supplied to the market by the authorized entity. But before reaching this stage as mentioned above all the necessary evaluations will be conducted. For example, the question raised by Professor Sebsibe whether the indigenous cotton plants are affected by the BT cotton is critically scrutinized and the non-targeted organisms also checked.
The Ethiopian herald December 13/2020
