GM food on trial

While debate over Bt brinjal continues, in a recent seminar in Mumbai, experts suggested that genetically modified (GM) crops will solve the country's food problem. But, manyu00a0 believe that introduction of GM crops can have severe consequences

So what if commercial introduction of Bt brinjal in the country has been put under an indefinite moratorium, biotech companies are doing their best to dispel the 'myths' associated with Bt crops.


Activists stage a protest against the commercialisation of
genetically modified Bt Brinjal in Bangalore last year

A seminar organised by Association of Biotech-Led Enterprise Agriculture Group (ABLE-AG) in Mumbai recently at Hotel Intercontinental at Marine Drive, aimed at addressing various issues related to Genetically Modified (GM) crops. Industry experts and farmers emphasised the use of improved technology to increase the production of crops.
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"How else are we going to feed the population of our country in the future?" asked V Ram Kaundinya, Chairman, ABLE-AG. Accusing the anti Bt lobby of vested interests, Kaundiya said, "In Europe as well as in the US, Bt crops are being grown. Hence the anti Bt campaign propagated by interested parties is baseless."

Safe
Emphasising that Bt crops are safe for consumption, Professor C Kameswara Rao, eminent agri-biotech scientist explained during the seminar, "The Bt gene in cotton is pest resistant and that is the main purpose of Bt cotton.
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The bollworm (a pest which attacks certain crops especially cotton), cannot survive in Bt varieties. So, the purpose is specific."

When asked that many farmers have reported that fertility of the soil has been reduced due to Bt cotton, Rao explained, "Fertility of soil has been reduced, as farmers do not follow crop rotation methods anymore. It has nothing to do with Bt cotton," said Rao.

Political
On commercialisation of Bt brinjal, Rao said, "Bt brinjal is no more just a scientific issue. It has become a political issue now."

In fact, the controversial 2004 Seed Bill, which was to be tabled before the Parliament this session, aims to regulate the seed market. The bill, however has faced fierce opposition from various political parties. But, two farmers, who were also present during the event emphasised that biotechnology is the way forward.


Former Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh at
a Bt brinjal protest rally in Ahmedabad

Sharing his personal experience with the audience, Nandkishore Raut of Bhambraja village in Yavatmal, Maharashtra said, "Earlier most of our crops would be destroyed by boll worms but after using Bt cotton we are seeing a good yield."

Problems
Panduranga Wamanrao Iname, a farmer from Ranjangaon in Aunrangabad lamented that due to the involvement of middlemen, farmers were made to pay much higher for Bt seeds.

"Whatever price is set by the government, farmers should pay only that much. But, we end up paying more as middlemen involvedu00a0 charge us more than the MRP." The panelists came to a consensus that the problem is not at the production level, but distribution and marketing of seeds should be taken care of by monitoring bodies.

Report
Introduction of herbicide tolerant genetically modified (GM) crops, which are at the field trial stage in India, can pose serious threat to health and environment, according to a report released by Greenpeace.

The report attempts to draw attention to the proposed Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India bill, which was expected to be introduced this session.

According to Greenpeace, the bill once enacted, is expected to allow easy approval of GM crops.

The report stresses the need for the government to curb the entry of GM crops and set up a Biosafety Protection Regime instead of instituting a new regulatory body to supervise the GM crops.

The Other Side

An interview with Dr Pushpa Bhargava, founder director of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad. Dr Bhargava is also a recipient of Padma Bhushan

Q: What has been your observation as far as usage of Bt cotton is concerned?
Bt cotton in India has been permitted in many places. Initial results were good but we have had complaints from some farmers in Gujarat and Punjab. After cultivating Bt cotton, no other crop would grow in that land. The farmers noticed that bollworms too became resistant to the varieties.

Q: Can Bt crops be dangerous to human?
There have been reports, which indicate a direct correlation between health of human beings and their exposure to Bt cotton. There was a report, which talks about cancer trains in Punjab. These trains carry cancer patients from Punjab to Bikaner. A lot of these cancer patients are farmers. A recent study done on the impact of Bt crops on human health concluded that most of these farmers were exposed to Bt cotton. A lot of them grew Bt cotton in their fields.

Q: Industry experts who are pro GM crops say that GM technology is being used all over the world. So what is the problem in using the technology in India?
There is no doubt about this that most of the crops produced in America are GM. If you plot a graph between gastrointestinal problems in America and consumption of Bt crops, then you will see that they are super imposable. It might take many years to come to a conclusion, which can clearly link Bt crops to health problems, but we cannot play with the lives of people by feeding them crops, which may not have passed the lab tests. In fact, In India before releasing Bt crops, proper tests were not done. Out of 30 tests only six tests were done, which is unacceptable.

Q: Are you against Bt crops?
No, Bt is a wonderful technology. But we need to have proper trials and follow protocol before releasing it into the market and to establish that Bt crops are safe for human consumption. This takes time but there is huge pressure from MNCs and other companies. Delay in marketing of Bt crops will severely affect Bt companies, which are profit driven.


Cotton fields at a village in Gujarat

Q: Are we inadvertently consuming GM crops?
It could be possible that we are consuming GM food. Many of our imports come from foreign countries where GM technique is used for cultivation of food. I have been requesting the government for so many years now, to set up a proper lab facility, where we can examine imported varieties. But, the government has turned a deaf ear.

Q: What are the other dangers associated with GM crops?
It might lead to corporatisation of food. Hence, the government needs to be very careful. We cannot allow the agriculture of our country to fall into foreign hands.

Q: Are GM crops the answer to the country's food problem?
GM crops have nothing to do with the country's food problem. 40 per cent of the food that we produce is being wasted. They are eaten away by rodents. There is no storage facility available. These are the issues that need to be addressed.

What isu00a0Bt?
Bt stands for soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis. The gene derived from this bacteria when inserted in various crops, makes the crop resistant to pests. While killing of pests can increase the production of crops, many experts argue that Bt crops are not safe for human consumption.