ISLAMABAD: After two months of a stalemate, the federal cabinet has finally approved the release of nine vessels containing soybean oilseeds stuck at Port Qasim in Karachi. The nine vessels have been carrying oilseeds worth $350 million that are vital to Pakistan’s food security as well as its livestock sector.
Officials have remained tight lipped about what legal procedure will be followed to get out of the conundrum, but the official statement issued after the federal cabinet meeting on Wednesday claimed that it has the approval report of the concerned cabinet committee. “The federal cabinet gave final approval to the report of the Cabinet Committee on Soybean,” the statement said without sharing further details.
However, an importer of the oilseed, when contacted, claimed that the cabinet has approved the proposal made by the cabinet committee regarding release of imported vessels. After the cabinet’s nod, the concerned authorities and department would complete the release process, he said.
Background
On the 20th of October this year, two shipments were stopped at Port Qasim in Karachi. The shipments contained GMO oilseeds worth some $100 million on board. And despite the very vocal protestations of the importers that had paid for the consignments, they stayed stuck at the port pending a single certification from the ministry of climate change.
The requirement for a certificate from the climate change ministry had been introduced four years ago, and importers had applied for the certificates back then. Because GMOs and the introduction of seeds into agriculture falls under environmental protection and is a key element of the country’s biosafety, the ministry of climate change is supposed to have oversight over such imports. However, issuance of the certificates fell prey to bureaucratic red-taping and an arrangement was made on a temporary basis to continue the import of oilseeds until the certificates could be issued. This year, however, it seems the ministry has decided to finally implement the requirement.
As time went on, more shipments joined the two original shipments that had arrived on the 20th of October. According to both the importers and industry associations, the requirement has never been implemented before, and that the application has been submitted to the ministry for more than four years.
Why do we import oilseeds?
When most people hear the term oilseed, they think it is a seed that is to be sown in the ground and harvested for the production of edible oil. Oilseeds is actually a term for the seeds or ‘fruit’ that certain crops produce that are then pressed to get edible oil. One of the most widely used oilseeds globally are palm oilseeds.
In fact, palm oil is some of the most used edible oil in Pakistan and is almost entirely imported. Pakistan relies heavily on imported oilseeds to meet its caloric demands. According to a report of the central bank, Pakistan’s palm and soybean-related imports stood at US$ 4 billion in FY21, rising by 47% year-on-year, compared to compound average growth of 12.3% in the last 20 years.
These, however, are the regular shipments that Pakistan gets. Palm oil is actually used to make ‘vanaspati ghee’ which is the most used form of edible oil in Pakistan. However, the consignments that have been stuck at Port Qasim are soybeans, most of which have been imported from the United States. What is particularly unique about these oilseeds is that they are the result of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). A GMO is an animal, plant, or microbe whose DNA has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. For thousands of years, humans have used breeding methods to modify organisms. Corn, cattle, and even dogs have been selectively bred over generations to have certain desired traits.
GMO oilseeds like the ones stuck at the port are resistant to weather and other climate disasters such as floods. They are also modified to provide higher yield, and to contain more oil per seed. Now, the important thing to understand here once again is that the oilseeds that are stuck at the port are already harvested and are simply imported to be pressed and converted into edible oil. In fact, the importers in this entire time have been represented by the All Pakistan Solvent Extractors’ Association (APSEA).
The way out
According to reliable sources, concerned ministries and departments were hesitant to allow the release of the Soybean seeds, which are Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO), fearing repercussions of such a move in terms of Pakistan international commitments.
On December 9, the FTO had ordered the Ministry of Climate Change to issue a one-time approval for the release and treat it as a special case under Rule 27 of the Biosafety Rules, 2005. But authorities remain hesitant keeping in mind Pakistan’s international commitment to implement the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity, signed in 2001 and rectified in 2009.
Under the existing Biosafety Rules 2005, any commercial import of genetically engineered products for the purposes of food, feed, or processing, requires an approval from the National Biosafety Committee (NBC), an inter-ministerial body with representation from EPA, commerce, food security, health services, climate change and others..
Pakistan is signatory to, and has ratified, various multilateral environmental agreements, conventions and protocols. Consequently, it is mandatory for the state to ensure the implementation of the agreements. Pakistan’s regulations and guidelines for biosafety will also have to show compliance with the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, which Pakistan has ratified.
As per available documents, at least 257 vessels of oilseed have arrived in the country from 2017 to February 2022. The concerned department of the food ministry, the Department of Plant Protection (DPP), has simply been fumigating the vessels to avoid any pest-related risks.
The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity is an international treaty governing the movements of living modified organisms (LMOs) resulting from modern biotechnology from one country to another. It was adopted on 29 January 2000 as a supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity and entered into force on 11 September 2003.
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