Bangladesh is readying an array of biotech-derived crops to enhance its farmers capacity to fight the adverse impacts of climate change on the country’s predominantly agrarian economy and ensure food security.
The government’s agriculture officials told a dialogue, held in Dhaka on Monday, that after giving commercial approval to biotech-derived crops Bt brinjal and Bt cotton, scientists and regulators in Bangladesh are now in the process of releasing a range of other crops with applications of agricultural biotechnology.
These include vitamin A enriched Golden Rice, late blight resistant potato, rice rich with high-zinc and iron content, etc.
Bangladesh is one of the countries in the world most vulnerable to climate change. Using biotechnology, scientists can accelerate the rate at which they can introduce new plant varieties that are able to respond to changing environmental conditions, noted the dialogue participants.
Over a hundred agricultural scientists, biotechnologists, academics, policy experts and representatives of development partners took part in the day-long dialogue – Nexus of Climate Smart Agriculture and Innovative Biotechnology – held at a city hotel under the joint aegis of the Ministry of Agriculture and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The dialogue explored the potential of innovative biotechnology to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change.
Throughout the three technical sessions scientists, academics, regulators, and policy makers shared the newest policies and research related to biotechnology.
Nathan Flook, chargé d’affaires at the US Embassy, joined Wahida Akter, secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, at the dialogue.
They highlighted the importance of precision biotechnology to build climate resilience in the agricultural sector during the inaugural session.
Salinity intrusion, drought, and new pests and diseases have made it harder for farmers to produce food profitably.
Nathan Flook underscored the importance of agricultural biotechnology as a safe tool to build resilience in agriculture and enhance global food security.
He noted: “the Biden Administration has made safeguarding and supporting biotechnology innovation a priority.”
The dialogue was an opportunity to discuss how gene-editing can help farmers produce more food with fewer resources and identify what other technologies will help Bangladesh reach its climate change goals.
As members of the Agricultural Innovation Mission for Climate and the Global Methane Pledge,
the United States and Bangladesh have a shared mission to support farmers’ livelihoods by being able to adapt to climate change. Biotechnology has a role to play in mitigating the impacts agricultural production has on the climate, while increasing productivity.