THE approval of the National Agricultural Biotechnology Policy has set the stage for a major technological shift. Yet, the real battlefield has reportedly moved to the PM’s Committee on Genetically Modified (GM) Maize, chaired by the Finance Minister. As the Committee conducts its “science-based and evidence-driven review” to decide on commercial licensing, a deeper, structural crisis looms. While corporate entities argue that biotech is the key to national food security, the policy threatens to alter the fate of the majority of Pakistan’s smallholders, who form the vulnerable backbone of our rural economy.

Proponents of GM maize, led by biotech bodies currently members of CropLife Pakistan, present a compelling macroeconomic case. Pakistan’s climate vulnerability is no longer a future threat; it is a current reality. Severe heatwaves, shifting monsoon patterns and devastating insect pests like Spodoptera frugiperda, Chilo partellus and Helicoverpa armigera routinely decimate yields. GM seeds, engineered for pest resistance, herbicide tolerance and drought tolerance, offer an immediate remedy. For Pakistan’s booming poultry, livestock and feed mill industries, GM maize promises a stable, high-volume domestic supply chain. By maximizing per-acre yields, the country could theoretically reduce its reliance on grain and soybean imports, saving precious foreign exchange reserves. Furthermore,........

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