Transgenic plants : what constraints and opportunities for their development in Morocco ?
As part of its study program "Climate Change: Impacts on Morocco and adaptation options overall," the Royal Institute for Strategic Studies (IRES) held on December 19, 2012 a seminar dealing with the provision of the preliminary findings of the study:'' transgenic plants : what constraints and opportunities for their development in Morocco ?”. This seminar was moderated by experts recruited by IRES to carry out this study. Several representatives of public and private sector, the scientific community, national and international organizations and civil society attended in this meeting.
The present study has as its global objective the prospective analysis of the potential development of transgenic crops in Morocco in light of future challenges of food security. The research team in charge of this study presented the main results of the analysis focusing on the needs and prerequisites of a national biosafety framework in the field of PGM; potential gains in order to bridge the gap between agricultural productivity and expected current productivity to ensure food security in the context of climate change in 2030 horizon; the contribution of breeding techniques and biotechnology in improving the productivity, based on the Moroccan experience; the analysis of major trade agreements of Morocco in the field of agriculture; review of provisions in free trade agreements on products derived from GM crops, and a summary of the issues of "modern biotechnology" for GMP for Morocco. The discussion focused on the assessment of the potential advantages and disadvantages of the use of Genetically Modified Plants and on the analysis of needs in biosecurity in Morocco.
