Sri Lanka lags far behind in bio-technology

by Afreeha Jawad

If the 20th century was all about physics and turning silicons into computing power, the 21st century would be one of bio-technology which aims at applying science and technology to living organisms as well as parts of organisms, products and models there of to alter living or non-living material to produce goods and services. Accordingly, bio-technology is of three kinds: medical, animal and agricultural.

Certainly there's nothing new about it for its pervasive nature at broader level from time immemorial. For instance yeast has been used in bread, beer and wine production for over a 100 years according to Colombo university's Senior scientist Dr. Anil Jayasekera.

The Green Revolution was a big success story, where the food needs of one billion starving people were met in the 1960s. Today thanks to GR only 800 million in developing countries remain undernourished.

Yet, the problem stares in the face of 1.5 billion mouths to be fed in the future what with a global populace expected to reach record high of eight billion by 2020.

Thus the Green Revolution's methods now deemed traditional is most unlikely to fulfil that task - the only fall back state being bio-technology.

Though the Green Revolution helped circumvent a severe world food crisis having reduced hunger for forty years since 1960s, the coin's other side was the disadvantages that followed close upon its heels.

Farmers the world over have been severely affected by chemical application while soil damage has also been pretty damaging what with low salinity levels in soil reported from all over the world.

Crop losses too continue unabated with insecticide spraying. In China alone between 1992-1996 around 54,000 farmers have been poisoned and 500 reportedly dead. Despite pesticide usage, worldwide crop losses read 13-30 per cent. Pesticides' residue find itself into vegetables, fruits and grains not to forget water contamination and the damaging effects on bio diversity. Despite all this, the positive results of the Green Revolution cannot be overlooked. If not for the intensive cultivation it resorted to where crop cultivation within a limited area was backed by pesticides, weedicide and chemical fertilizer, vast acreages of world forest would have had to be cleared for food.

One of the biggest findings in biological technology is the reduced usage in pesticides as plants develop increased pest resistance. Soil salinity is also expected to increase. Crop yield increase have reached saturated point and shows no signs of future improvement under the Green Revolution's traditional method.Bio-technology will also takeover from where it left even as regards yield improvement. Besides, the preservation of bio-diversity and the damages inflicted on soil due to chemical spraying will also be arrested coupled with disease free plants, high quality planting material and uniform plants.Many Asian countries have taken to Bio-technology in a big way. It is still to be seen how Sri Lanka would dump whatever prejudices in this regard and move towards Bio-technology - hopefully a willing facilitator towards sustainable development.

afreeha@sundayobserver.lk