Though a substantial level of the country’s cotton contains Monsanto’s
technology, which is licensed to over 25 Indian seed companies, the
Chairperson and Managing Director of biotech firm Biocon said the
criticism that this will put India’s seed sovereignty in jeopardy is too
far-fetched.
“The best way to counter such a monopoly is to allow competition to
develop similar technologies,” she told PTI in Bangalore. “All this
activism against GM crops is stifling the efforts of the Indian
companies as well the public sector institutions to come up with
competing technologies. The anti-GM activists may thus be helping the
multinationals to hold on to their monopoly.”
On the Supreme Court-appointed technical experts committee (TEC) on GMOs
(genetically modified organisms) recently recommending that there
should not be any field trials of GM crops until gaps in the regulatory
systems are addressed, Ms. Mazumdar-Shaw said the report has disregarded
the enormous body of evidence attesting to the safety and benefits of
GM crops.
According to her, one of the members (Dr. R S Paroda, former Director
General of Indian Council of Agricultural Research), who was added to
the committee in order to bring in someone with real expertise in
agriculture, has not signed the report, and he has presented a separate
report which in all likelihood is at significant variance with the
former.
“It may also be noted that the members of the TEC who have signed the
report have for a long time opposed the introduction of GM crops and
therefore it is not at all surprising that they recommended the ban. If
you have been following the story, this report has been roundly
condemned, not just by scientists, but by several other stakeholders,
including farmers,” Ms. Mazumdar-Shaw said.
She said “India’s regulatory system is well designed - the proof is that
after over a decade of commercialisation of Bt cotton, there is not a
single credible report of any harm to humans, animals or the
environment.
“On the other hand, the benefits have been many; the production,
productivity and farmer incomes have all gone up! The functioning of our
regulatory system is being stifled by strident activism and misleading
campaigns. Even our legal structures are being misused to this end...”
“... Well, this does not mean that there is no scope for further
improving the present regulatory system. But for this you need not stop
the trials. Do you think we should stop all construction work in the
country because the building regulations need improvements?” she asked.
Asked about the Union Minister for Environment and Forests, Jayanthi
Natarajan expressing concern at field-testing of GM crops, she said: “If
the minister has expressed such a concern, it is certainly unfounded.”
She also argued that the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India
(BRAI) bill (which is yet to be tabled in Parliament) does effectively
address some of the inadequacies of the present system.
It was prepared after wide-ranging consultations among all stakeholders including the public, Ms. Mazumdar-Shaw said.
However, it can be further refined and that should happen through discussions in various fora including the Parliament.
Demand for outright rejection of the bill based on mere canards is not in the interest of democratic functioning.
On Agriculture Ministry favouring GMOs, and Environment Ministry wanting
to put field trials of GM crops in abeyance till the Parliament passes
BRAI bill, she said: “The agricultural ministry is mandated to promote
Indian agriculture and if they find GM crops to be a potent option to
reach this end, what is wrong with it? ” The Environment and Forest
Ministry is mandated to protect the environment and promote its
sustained use for the welfare of countrymen, Ms. Mazumdar-Shaw said.
“There are many studies which have established that GM crops can reduce
pesticide use and consequently increase the number of beneficial insects
and other non-pest organisms, in addition to reducing human and animal
exposure to noxious chemicals...”
“The claims that GM crops can harm biodiversity and the environment are mere propaganda and not supported by facts.
If we go by facts and hard data, the regulatory system should actually
be a facilitator for the responsible introduction of technologies like
GM crops, which can actually promote environmental sustainability,” Ms.
Mazumdar-Shaw said.
She argued that field trials have to continue under the present system
while the new regulatory bill is being discussed and passed. Field
trials are essential to evaluate the safety and efficacy of any crop
improvement technology.
“The time to pass a bill by our Parliament can range from months to many
years! Development of new technologies that can potentially pull out
our agriculture from the dire situation that it is in presently should
not be delayed unnecessarily. As Pandit Nehru has said, “everything else
can wait, but not agriculture,” Ms. Mazumdar-Shaw commented.
She disagreed with Ms. Jayanthi Natarajan’s reported statement that
robust and proven fail safe scientific protocols to prevent damage from
GM crops are yet to be developed in India, saying “We have a fairly good
regulatory system and it should be allowed to function without being
derailed by political interventions. Of course, it can and need to be
continuously improved and strengthened.”
Asked if she thought the government must take an “extremely well
calibrated and judicious approach” as the GM technology could impact
millions of farmers and alter food supply chains permanently, she agreed
that government should take a well calibrated and judicious approach.
“And that means, field trials should be continued and the regulatory
system should be allowed to function in an unfettered manner.
Improvements to the system should be continuous and based on actual
facts and scientific principles,” Ms. Mazumdar-Shaw added.
Source: http://tinyurl.com/n8uu7v7
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