RADA CEO backs lab-grown trees to help with food security

With thousands of fruit trees damaged by Hurricane Melissa and farmers facing years of waiting for replacement crops to mature, Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) CEO Garnet Edmondson believes Jamaica should embrace scientific innovation, including genetically modified organisms (GMOs), to strengthen its food security.

“Am I against GMO? No, I am not against GMO,” he told THE STAR at the World Food Day National Ceremony and Exposition at the Ministry of Agriculture, Mining and Fisheries on Wednesday. GMOs are plants, animals and microorganisms whose genetic material have been altered using genetic engineering techniques to introduce or enhance specific characteristics. In agriculture, the technology can be used to develop crops that are more resistant to pest and diseases, better able to withstand harsh environmental conditions or capable of producing higher yields.

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Edmondson argued that scientific advancements could play an important role in helping the country recover from natural disasters, particularly where traditional agricultural practices require years to restore production. Pointing to Westmoreland, Hanover and St Elizabeth, which suffered extensive agricultural damage during Hurricane Melissa, he questioned how long Jamaicans should have to wait for breadfruit and other fruit trees to become productive again.