Foundation for Biotechnology Awareness and Education (FBAE) and the Association of Biotechnology-Led Enterprises (ABLE) will hold a conference on ‘Biotechnology crops for food security in India' in February 27 in Bangalore.
“Population of the country is projected to be about 160 crore by 2050 and increasing incomes and increasing per capita food consumption is widening the yield-demand gap,” FABE said here in a statement. The country needs to adopt newer technologies in agriculture such as crop genetic engineering to cope up with the growing challenge of food security. Globally, biotech crops (soya, corn and cotton) are being grown in 19 countries. “India could adopt biotechnology in cotton, leaving huge scope for other crops. The moratorium on Bt brinjal and delay in functionalising Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India are results of opposition by anti-technology activists. This is keeping us away from benefiting from biotech,” FBAE said.
The February 27 conference would discuss ways to overcome food security threats, new trends in agri-biotechnology, biotech crops for India and biotech regulation – legal provisions and conflict resolution.