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Biological Diversity
In agriculture, bio-diversity means to produce more food that is better, healthier and more adequate. The agrarian production process is threatened as humanity depends basically on 3% of a total of 250 thousand plant variety, as people use 150 plant variety, 12 of them represent three quarters of the world food supply.
Genetic engineering is a strong instrument that holds big hopes for medicine, agriculture and industry. Despite that, it has many moral, health, environmental, legal and social dangers. In the beginning of the twentieth century, the techniques of planned hybridization were used to create new varieties and increase the animal and plant productivity. But this method made farmers stop using a big number of local and wild varieties.
Genetic engineering could lead to producing weeds that could resist herbicides. The genes that fight antibiotics could be transported into the human intestine after eating genetically modified plants, which could make the bacteria in the human stomach resist prescribed by doctors. If people did not eat genetically modified plants, could enter the human body by inhaling the pollen of genetically modified plants or eating any animal production from animals that inhaled this pollen, or eating honey made from the flowers of genetically modified plants. This means that we will be surrounded by what is called "genetic pollution"
Although Egypt has recently entered the field of genetic engineering, it needs to make new laws, legislations and policies to support bio-diversity by: adding new laws that protect the rights of farmers and natural nurseries to open the field for private investments. Organize the process of registering new varieties through a specialized committee. Protect farmers from using low quality seeds by making a strict supervision over the use and circulation of seeds. Establish a national bank to preserve the multiplication elements and make a database of all available seeds and varieties. Qualify and raise the awareness of farmers and agrarian workers in the field of producing, storing and marketing seeds. Encourage universities and research institutions to make more research, coordination and exchange of information in order to find solutions for the production problems.
Civil society organizations and the different governmental authorities in Egypt are required to raise citizens' awareness and create mechanisms to protect their rights to seed production, clean and healthy food and a safe life.