Chennai:
More than 150 scientists from across the country have written a letter
to Union minister for environment and forests Jayanthi Natarajan
pointing out flaws in the stand taken by the agriculture ministry in
favour of conducting field trials of genetically modified (GM) crops.
The scientists pointed out that this was despite an expert panel appointed by the Supreme Court recommending a 10-year moratorium on such trials.
“The ministry of agriculture has argued that our nation’s food security would be jeopardized without GM crops. It argues that transgenic technology is absolutely needed for India’s food security and what’s more, that unsafe field trials of transgenic crops were needed for India’s food security!
Examining the food security situation of USA or Brazil, which have adopted GM crops on a massive scale, it is evident that the situation has worsened after the introduction of GM crops,” the scientists have cautioned.
The scientists have noted that the agriculture ministry has completely ignored the important aspect that food safety is an integral part of food security and cannot be separated from it.
P M Bhargava, genetic scientist and former vicechairman of the Knowledge Commission, who is one of the signatories to the letter, noted that former environment minister Jairam Ramesh had positively opposed open release of BT Brinjal.
“This statement should apply to all other GM crops,” he told TOI. Bhargava, who was a member on the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee during the tenure of the previous environment minister, noted that the new committee was yet to be constituted. “No field trials can be conducted without the approval of this appraisal committee,” he said.
The scientists pointed out that this was despite an expert panel appointed by the Supreme Court recommending a 10-year moratorium on such trials.
“The ministry of agriculture has argued that our nation’s food security would be jeopardized without GM crops. It argues that transgenic technology is absolutely needed for India’s food security and what’s more, that unsafe field trials of transgenic crops were needed for India’s food security!
Examining the food security situation of USA or Brazil, which have adopted GM crops on a massive scale, it is evident that the situation has worsened after the introduction of GM crops,” the scientists have cautioned.
The scientists have noted that the agriculture ministry has completely ignored the important aspect that food safety is an integral part of food security and cannot be separated from it.
P M Bhargava, genetic scientist and former vicechairman of the Knowledge Commission, who is one of the signatories to the letter, noted that former environment minister Jairam Ramesh had positively opposed open release of BT Brinjal.
“This statement should apply to all other GM crops,” he told TOI. Bhargava, who was a member on the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee during the tenure of the previous environment minister, noted that the new committee was yet to be constituted. “No field trials can be conducted without the approval of this appraisal committee,” he said.
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