Emphasizing the urgent need to harness biotechnology to address climate change and ensure national food security, the Pakistan Academy of Sciences organized a day-long national dialogue on “Biotechnology – A Strategic Tool to Address Climate Change and National Food Security” on Tuesday.
Islamabad (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – April 7, 2026) stressing the urgent need to harness biotechnology to address climate change and ensure national security. food security, Pakistan academy The Faculty of Science (PAS) organized a one-day national dialogue on “Biotechnology – a strategic tool to address climate change and national food security” on Tuesday.
The event was inaugurated by Ms. Aisha Hamira Chowdhury, Federalism Secretary of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination.
In his opening remarks, Professor Dr Kausar Abdullah Malik (HI, SI, TI), President, Pakistan Academy of Sciences, emphasized the core objectives of the dialogue, which are to highlight biotechnology innovations relevant to Pakistan’s agricultural landscape, facilitate constructive policy conversations on responsible innovation, and examine the evolving food security dynamics across the crop, poultry and livestock sectors.
The technical sessions included views from government and industry, with keynote speakers including Mr. Ahmed Omair, Prime Minister’s Coordinator for Agriculture and Food Security; Prof. Dr. Asif Ali, Chairman, National Seed Development and Regulatory Authority (NSDRA); And Mr. Shahzad Ali Malik, CEO, Guard Agri Pvt. Limited, and all reinforce a common message: biotechnology, including transgenics and genome editing, is not a luxury but an absolute necessity.
The high-level committee session on biotechnology and future of food security in Pakistan, which was moderated by Dr Yousuf Zafar, Vice Chairman of the Central Cotton Commission of Pakistan, witnessed seven eminent members representing institutions including the University of Agriculture. FaisalabadCenter of Excellence in Molecular Biology, NIGAB-NARC, CropLife Pakistan and Pakistan Poultry Association discuss achievements, challenges and solutions across their sub-sectors.
Among the key recommendations that emerged: The government must urgently approve the long-awaited National Agricultural Biotechnology Policy and National Seed Policy; The biosafety rule amendment must be reviewed and approved; Critical gaps in biotechnology investment, public-private partnerships, and regulatory clarity around new breeding technologies must be addressed without further delay.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks from Professor Dr Muhammad Aslam Baig (HI, SI, TI), Secretary General of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences, who noted that the strong attendance, both physical and online, was in itself a testament to the national importance of the biotechnology agenda in the face of the twin crises of climate change and food insecurity.