Indonesia wary over crops altered genetically

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia is still wary about the entry of genetically altered crops despite their high potential in solving the problem of nourishment, the Indonesian ambassador to Japan said on Thursday.

"Indonesia is still cautious about absorbing the flow of biotechnology products, such as genetically-modified organisms and transgenic plants," Soemardi Brotodiningrat said at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) regional conference for Asia and the Pacific in Yokohama, Japan.

Transgenic technology used to genetically alter organisms, is a way to create higher quality crops and stocks by inserting genes from other species in order to add certain qualities, for example the injection of a certain virus into soybeans can make it resistant to herbicide.

Doubts have been raised by environmentalists on the safety of genetically modified foods for human health, despite assurances from scientists that the products are safe.

Soemadi said that an intensive information program must be made to promote a better understanding of biotechnology, including biosafety in Indonesia, according to a press statement issued by FAO's regional office for Asia and the Pacific.

The Indonesian ambassador substituted Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Bungaran Saragih who had to cancel his Tokyo trip due to a conflict in schedules.

FAO Director General Jacques Diouf said that to be able to achieve FAO's target to halve the number of those undernourished, countries, especially in the Asia Pacific, need to upgrade their scientific institutions for research in biotechnology.

He said that Asia and the Pacific will still account for 43 percent of the world's undernourished in 2010, unless poverty in the rural areas can be overcome. (10)