Indian decision to put moratorium on GM crop hailed
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India's decision to stop the release of its first genetically modified food crop because of health concerns has been widely hailed by agriculture scientists and environmentalists across the country, terming it an "extremely positive" development that has saved the nation from a "catastrophe."
One of India's largest seed companies, Maiko, has developed a GM eggplant which it said was modified to be pest-resistant. But, after weeks of heated debate on the whether the GM eggplants should be grown on farms for commercial use, India Tuesday imposed a moratorium on the cultivation of a genetically modified Bt brinjal till scientific studies established it as completely safe.
"It is my duty to adopt a cautious, precautionary principle- based approach and impose a moratorium on the release of Bt brinjal, till such time independent scientific studies establish, to the satisfaction of both the public and professionals, the safety of the product from the point of view of its longterm impact on human health and environment," Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh Ramesh said.
Noted agriculture scientist M.S. Swaminathan, known as the " Father of the Green Revolution", has described the Indian government's moratorium on commercialization of Bt brinjal until independent studies established its safety, as "a wise and appropriate decision".
"It's appropriate not to hurry and to look at the problems to the satisfaction of all. The government should utilize the time to put in place a credible, effective and transparent system for the benefit of the country and conduct tests in a manner that have public trust," he said, adding biotechnology was a powerful tool but it should be utilized for "public good".
India is one of the largest producers of eggplant in the world, and the crop accounts for 9 percent of country's vegetable production. If approved, BT brinjal would be the first GM vegetable to be grown in the world.
But, V.S. Vijayan, the chairman of the Kerala State Biodiversity Board, has said that the government's decision has saved the country from a "catastrophe", while Vandana Shiva of Navdanya and Research Foundation for Science, Ecology and Technology, claimed the decision was a "victory for scientists, farmers, ecologists and all those who called for caution."
Kavitha Kuruganti of the Kheti Virasat Mission hailed the decision as an "extremely positive" development. "During the moratorium period the government should put in place a liability provision in the Environment Protection Act which makes a (GM) crop developer solely liable for any potential leakage and contamination. Jairam Ramesh has set a good precedent," she told the media.
Echoeing similar sentiments, Sunita Narain, the Director of Center for Science and Environment said: "We have consistently voiced our concerns. We are not against the use of genetically modified technology to improve crop yields. But we definitely oppose the introduction of Bt brinjal."
She added: "Here, for the first time, we are genetically modifying a common vegetable which is used nearly daily in most of our homes. Brinjal is consumed directly and not processed into bread or used in other processed foods. In many parts of the country, it is even eaten uncooked. We, therefore, need to be extremely cautious in our review of this food."
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