THE approval of the National Agricultural Biotechnology Policy by the Prime Minister and the Federal Cabinet was an important and timely step for Pakistan’s agriculture.

It created a clear national direction for science-based innovation, improved seed systems, food security, farmer productivity and responsible investment. The policy was not developed overnight. It followed an extended consultative process involving public institutions, scientists, regulators, provincial representatives, academia, industry and other stakeholders.

Now the real challenge before Pakistan is no longer the absence of policy; it is the roadblocks being created in its implementation. A policy that remains only on paper cannot deliver productivity, exports, import substitution or food security. Its value will be measured only when approved technologies move through a predictable, transparent and science-based implementation pathway.

One major roadblock is the continued circulation of misinformation around genetically........

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