New Delhi — India said Tuesday 'No' to genetically modified eggplant or aubergine or simply what the vegetable is called in India as brinjal until the long-term effect on health and environment were studied.
Federal Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh told newsmen in New Delhi: “It's my duty to adopt a cautious precautionary based approach and impose a moratorium on the release of Bt Brinjal till such time independent scientific study establishes to the satisfaction of the public and professional about safety of the product.”
Although the government's decision was on expected lines with anti-groups staging protests against the minister during his public debates across the country during the last one month to elicit public opinion of the issue.
"There are a number of complex issues with Bt brinjal, like effect on human health and genetic diversity. And since it is an item of daily use, the toxicity part is also there. There are a number of fears that have been expressed and we need to address all that," according to the minister..
Indian news television channels said came even as there has been intense lobbying for the introduction of GM foods. The US had on Monday rushed its chief Scientific Advisor, Nina Fedorrof to New Delhi.
Nina Fedorrof , the world's biggest crusader for the cause met top policymakers, but has been unsuccessful for now in her efforts. Fedoroff had also met Planning Comission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia.
Indian scientists, politicians and environmental actitivists have been sharply divided over the issue of allowing the genetically modified vegetable to hit the market.
Bt Brinjal is a trans-genic brinjal created by inserting a gene (Cry 1Ac) from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringenisis (Bt) into brinjal.
The insertion of the gene into the vegetable is said to give the plant resistance against insects like the brinjal fruit and shoot borer. Upon ingestion of the Bt toxin, the insect's digestive processes are disrupted, ultimately resulting in its death.
The government's Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), which cleared Bt Brinjal for commercial release in October, said it will reduce the farmers' dependence on pesticides and enable higher yields.
Ramesh said that in view of the negative public sentiment, opposition from states and lack of consensus within scientific community, it was his "duty to have a cautious approach."
He said there was no need for a hasty decision on the world's first genetically modified vegetable.
It's important to look at both sides of the debate as to why there is opposition and why many from the biotech sector feel that a green signal is absolutely essential.
The government has been facing strong opposition from scientists, farmers and activists against the proposed decision to introduce the Bt brinjal in the market.
The 30-member GEAC, mainly consisting of bureaucrats and scientists from state institutions and laboratories, had approved the scheme last October.
The genetically modified eggplant is being developed by the Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Co, (M/s Mahyco) in the western Indian state of Maharashtra. Indian newspaper have reported that the Indian company is the local partner of global seed giant Monsanto.
In India, the vegetable is grown in half a million hectares of land and an output of 8.4 million tones. Over 2,000 varieties of the vegetable is grown in the country.
If the federal government had given the nod for the bt brinjal, it would be the first genetically modified food in India. There is a long list of rice and 56 other varieties of genetically modified foods such as tomatoes, potatoes, corn, ladies finger, papaya, mustard among others that are awaiting clearance.
Five of Indian state governments have already banned bt brinjal cultivation. They include West Bengal, Orissa, Karnataka, Uttarakhand and Bihar, where nearly 60 per cent of the vegetable is grown.
“I will not allow the entry of BT brinjal in my state," Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa said on Monday.
The key argument used by those who support BT brinjal is that after several rounds of bio-safety tests, it is safe for human consumption and more importantly, it will boost yields while reducing dependence on pesticides. On average, a brinjal crop undergoes between 50-80 rounds of pesticide spraying.
"The introduction of the BT gene in brinjal is very useful because this makes the crop resistant to the fruit bores which are responsible for huge losses. It also kills the bad insects without compromising on safety," Dr Anand Kumar, a scientist at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has been quoted as saying by NDTV television news channel..
The companies marketing Genetically Modified breed say that without this technology, world agricultural output will not double by 2050 - something that is an absolute must to deal with food security issues. These concerns could pave the way for India's decision, as a weak monsoon coupled with inflation has meant the poor have been hit the hardest.
The world is divided over GM food. While the European Union (EU) has banned such crops, in the United States they are consumed by humans once they are processed.
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