Economy

Lesson 1: The important role of biotechnology is increasingly affirmed.

Economic Reporter Group • December 5, 2024 13:47

Along with the green economy and circular economy being widely accepted in reality, biotechnology is also gradually becoming known when increasing scientific factors impact on microorganisms to create new, better and more superior products to support economic development, repel epidemics, take care of human health, create a large and diverse supply of products and respond to climate change.

Storms and floods devastated the US and China, the Sahara desert suddenly flooded after 100 years of drought, storms and floods devastated Spain, young Vietnamese people successfully grew rice, vegetables and tubers in Angola... where it is dry all year round. These events show us that the role of rapid production of livestock and crop varieties to adapt to current environmental pressures, climate change, desertification... becomes very important if biotechnology develops, creating a large number of seed sources to supply farms and ranches, contributing to the early restoration of production and serving life.

Global climate change along with local conflicts in regions as a red alert for food security of many countries, are scary phenomena for people on earth, putting countries in a situation where they must apply science and technology strongly, including the application of biotechnology to create new achievements, supporting food security. Besides, to provide for islands, mountainous areas and special areas where normal conditions cannot be carried out.

Here are some recent examples in Vietnam: Typhoon Yagi in October 2024 severely devastated Northern Vietnam, leveling the land and environment in many places, desertifying production land, wiping out seedlings and livestock in many localities, and scarce sources of green vegetables and seedlings for production, which had to depend on the South. Drought and desertification in many places, and high tides encroaching in the Southwest region made traditional production difficult...

The importance of biotechnology is therefore becoming more evident than ever.

In Vietnam, although biotechnology is newly developed, it has received investment attention from the Party and State and is identified as one of the activities that greatly contributes to the achievements of science and technology in general.

Previously, in Directive No. 50 CT/TW dated March 4, 2005 of the Central Party Secretariat on promoting the development and application of biotechnology to serve the cause of industrialization and modernization of the country, it was clearly stated: Biotechnology is a high-tech field based on the foundation of life science, combined with technical processes and equipment to create technologies that exploit the life activities of microorganisms, plant and animal cells to produce on an industrial scale high-quality biological products, serving socio-economic development and environmental protection.

Resolution 36/2023 of the Politburo sets out the viewpoint: Biotechnology development is an important driving force for implementing the process of renewing the growth model, restructuring the economy, ensuring social security, national defense - security and improving people's lives. At the same time, the development and application of biotechnology must exploit and promote the best potential and advantages of the country, each region and locality and the advantages of the following country. Focus on investing in developing a number of key and basic areas, especially taking advantage of the advantages of biodiversity in our country. Developing biotechnology into an important economic - technical sector is a priority solution in socio-economic development. Taking enterprises as the subject, having outstanding mechanisms and policies to create the most favorable conditions for economic sectors, especially the private economy, to invest in developing biotechnology.

In recent years, the State has prioritized investment in the field of biotechnology. Typically, it has implemented 4 biotechnology research programs including program 52 D; KC-08; KHCN-02; KC-04 and 1 State-level Technical - Economic program. In addition to the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has also implemented many projects, research works and applications of specialized biotechnology. Specifically: it has mastered and created invitro technology on many types of agricultural and forestry crops, completed the technology process of cultivating rice and corn anthers to serve the breeding work. There is an embryo rescue technique applied to some species with poor seed viability or when conducting crossbreeding, conservation and propagation of citrus by asexual embryos combined with micrografting technology of growing tips to quickly multiply and create disease-free orange and tangerine varieties.

In forestry, the method of micropropagation by meristem culture combined with large-scale cutting propagation technology has been successfully studied for some timber tree species (eucalyptus, acacia, rosewood, and teak). Similarly, in the field of animal husbandry, high-quality dairy and beef cattle and super-egg chickens have been bred. Many applications in environmental treatment and climate change response are currently very effective.

Biotechnology with branches such as gene technology, microbiology, medical biology, food biotechnology, tissue technology, application of fermentation mechanism technology, cell technology, enzymes, proteins determines breeding, selection and breeding. Branches of biotechnology have produced veterinary vaccines, produced biological products for the care and protection of crops and livestock... effectively serving production and environmental protection. In addition, increasing the desired output, improving food quality by enhancing nutritional value or color and attractive appearance.

When the development of biotechnology is an inevitable trend of the world and Vietnam in general, Nghe An province is not out of the game. Nghe An is the province with the largest area in the country with quite a large potential in forests, agriculture is also forming many green economic models, circular economy and recently models applying biotechnology.

Faced with the alarming situation of wild shrimp fields, pollution and mass fish and shrimp deaths in Quynh Luu district, Hoang Mai town; vegetable and orange fields that were once heavily sprayed with pesticides, with consequences that have not yet been resolved in Quy Hop, Nghia Dan, Con Cuong..., scientists and farmers in the area have researched and created many models of applying biotechnology to protect the environment and soil...

At the same time, from there, supply the market with new products such as: Three-stage shrimp farming; shrimp - rice, fish - rice; raising earthworms in rice fields, raising earthworms in soil; using bees to pollinate plants; herbal rice; herbal chicken; hydroponic vegetables; organic vegetables; globally certified organic noodles; globally certified organic Xa Doai oranges. At the same time, preserve rare indigenous resources in Nghe An such as Quy cinnamon, yellow flower tea, Quy duck, local pigs, black chicken, Ky Son yellow cow, Ky Son plum, medicinal herbs under the forest canopy, bananas from South American tissue for export, 3B cow, biological mushrooms, raising red ants, custard apples, off-season pineapples, microbial fertilizers to protect the environment...

The vivid reality of Nghe An shows that the picture enriches ideas about science and technology, applying biotechnology to production; thereby creating great encouragement for localities and organizations to join hands and promote the application of biotechnology and is also a topic for scientists to continue researching and perfecting to widely apply biotechnology. In Nghe An, with the initial attention of the province, the science sector has replicated a number of models of applying biotechnology to production such as purple corn, purple cabbage, cherry tomatoes, red rice...

Mr. Ngo Hoang Linh - Director of the Center for Application of Science and Technology Advances in Nghe An province said: Biotechnology is currently affecting many industries and fields, not just the economy. Its impact is huge and is second only to information technology. Its diversity and usefulness are being studied by scientists to make life safe and in harmony with the world.

According to the exchange of businessman Nguyen Van Hung - General Director of Vastcom Nghe An Seaweed Company, biotechnology currently solves many problems, first of all human health with clean, safe raw materials, developing clean medicinal herbs, solving jobs for people in coastal and mountainous areas. Herbs are present everywhere, harvesting them together with science, technology and human intelligence creates high quality products.

With the attention of the province and the pioneering efforts of a number of enterprises and business households, biotechnology is increasingly widely applied in production and life. In addition to the system of stations, laboratories, and biotechnology research at Vinh University and a number of major hospitals, the province also has a number of scientific research facilities, nurseries, and biodiversity conservation, development, and replication of rare plant varieties in Pu Mat - Con Cuong National Park, Pu Huong Nature Reserve (Quy Hop), Pu Hoat Conservation Area (Que Phong), TH Group's medicinal plant research station in Muong Long (Ky Son)...

The People's Council of Nghe An province also issued Resolution No. 18/2020/NQ-HDND on a number of agricultural support policies, encouraging localities to apply and use biological products to prevent and control pests, treat waste to make organic fertilizers, produce animal feed; policies to preserve native seedlings... Up to now, 235 traditional and local products in Nghe An have been impacted by science, technology and biotechnology to create superior values...