THE Committee on Genetically Modified Corn has approved GM maize cultivation alongside hybrid and organic varieties. The decision itself is not the problem. But the lack of transparency around it and the framework for conducting open-field trials of new technology to test its behaviour in the local environment are problematic. While the committee’s statement cites a “practical, well-defined framework” and stakeholder consultations, it says little about independent field trials for Pakistani soil and climatic conditions, as distinct from controlled environments. International protocol........

© Dawn