Pakistan: Agricultural Biotechnology Annual

The Government of Pakistan has put on hold genetically engineered (GE) trials on all crops except cotton since March 2019. Regulatory approval for cultivation, use, and commercialization of GE cotton has been granted since 2010, with new varieties added into the system each year. In Pakistan, agricultural biotechnology laws exist, but many of the implementing rules and guidelines have yet to be established and technical staff have yet to be hired. National regulatory bodies are in different stages of promulgating rules and administrative procedures, which need to be synchronized in order for Pakistan’s legal system that governs agricultural biotechnology to operate effectively. The National Biosafety Committee, under the Ministry of Climate Change, is currently in the process of developing regulations governing the importation of GE food intended for food, feed, and processing. Intellectual property protections remain weak, limiting access to the cotton industry of the latest generations of GE cotton seed.

Pakistan: Agricultural Biotechnology Annual