Topic: 2024-GMOs and Food Security
Country: Indonesia
Delegate Name: Reese Graham
The Republic of Indonesia recognizes the benefits that the use of GMOs in food production can provide, and encourages their role in mitigating global food instability. Genetically modified organisms, GMOs, have begun to play a more important role in modern day agriculture, particularly in places impacted by severe drought, loss of arable land, and climate change. These natural disturbances can have severe consequences on food security, therefore opening the door to agricultural technologies to grow in popularity. Indonesia supports these developments, but also understands the research that needs to be done before fully moving forward with GMOs.
GMOs are most often crops, such as wheat, fruits, or vegetables. By artificially adjusting their DNA, the crops can become more resistant to pesticides and herbicides, deteriorate less rapidly, and be more sustainable. Indonesia has taken advantage of this by implementing genetically modified soybeans to shift towards more efficient domestic production. This was initiated and encouraged in 2022, and since then we have continued working to develop genetically engineered products of our own, with careful research and consideration.
As the population grows and the effects of climate change worsen, food insecurity rates have continued to rise. GMOs can be more productive than regular crops, due to the benefits they pose for crop resiliency. Depending on the modifications, they may require less pesticides, and be able to grow in increasingly harsh conditions. Indonesia has faced climate extremes in 2024 alone — with both severe prolonged droughts and heavy flooding. Therefore, we support the initiatives to increase knowledge of genetic modification, and believe it is in our best interests to put more resources towards research and development.
Indonesia recognizes the importance of careful research when it comes to GMOs, and understands the time and effort required to carry out careful testing and rigorous safety assessments. This research is important to ensure safety of the consumers and growing environment, and we propose that more funding and resources be put towards this research, which should be conducted and shared with the public in order to ensure consumer peace of mind. Organizations such as the FAO can be integral pieces of this, and can help support global initiatives to further GMO development, particularly in nations susceptible to food insecurity and climate change.
