Nagpur: Genetically modified (GM) crops can no longer be ignored if India wants food security and curb its expenditure on imported edible oils, Ajay Sood, principal scientific advisor to the Modi government said Tuesday, on the sidelines of the 108th Indian Science Congress.
India’s progress in the field of GM crops have faced opposition from activists and anti-GM advocates, who believe that such crops may harm human health. Some suggest that the crops, which are resistant to the glyphosate herbicide, may also impact biodiversity — while the use of herbicides won’t affect the GM crop, weeds around it will die.
“Right now the problem is that because of a small group, the debate runs on fear,” said Sood.
The ongoing Indian Science Congress, being held at the Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University, was virtually inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday, while several dignitaries including Union ministers Jitendra Singh and Nitin Gadkari, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and Deputy CM, Devendra Fadnavis, also attended.
The theme of the congress is “Science and Technology for Sustainable Development with Women Empowerment”.
During an interaction with the media at the sidelines of the event, Sood talked about why it was important to take a scientific approach to approving genetically modified food crops, rather than letting the debate becomeing “emotional”.
“GM mustard has come up after a long battle. If you want food security and you want to take care of the piling edible oil import bills, you can not ignore GM mustard,” Sood said.
He added: “The debate about GM always gets emotional. The scientific side says one thing, and the other sides make some emphatic statements without proof. There are a lot of unfounded fears. What we do not realise is that a lot of the imported oil that we consume is made from GM crop.”
Sood also said that the debate about whether India should approve GM crops has to be scientific in nature, rather than being run on fear.
Also read: Halt Bt brinjal trials, it is against the national interest, RSS affiliate writes to Modi
Mustard row
Sood’s comments come months after the government approved the environmental release (planting outside of laboratories) of GM mustard in October last year, making it the first GM food crop to get such an approval in India.
However, just before the field trials could start the Coalition of GM-free India, a group of NGOs opposing GM crops, approached the Supreme Court to stop the trials. The matter is now pending with the court.
Their petition claimed that the GM crop is a herbicide-tolerant variety and toxic chemicals sprayed and absorbed by the plant would pose health concerns for the persons consuming it.
Apprehensions of genetic contamination and the threat to biodiversity have also been raised.
The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee’s (GEAC) approval for environmental release paves the way for the conduction of field trials for GM crops. Data from the field trials are then evaluated once again, before the GEAC can approve commercial release for farmers.
India meets 70 per cent of its domestic cooking oil demand by importing a variety of oils, including palm, soybean and sunflower varieties.
GM mustard, known as DMH-11, was developed by Deepak Pental, a geneticist and former vice-chancellor of Delhi University. The research was funded by the National Dairy Development Board, which markets different varieties of edible oils under the brand name ‘Dhara’.
In 2017, GEAC had recommended commercial release of GM mustard, but the government had put it on hold following opposition from activist groups and the Swadeshi Jagran Manch, an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
(Edited by Poulomi Banerjee)
Also read: Seeking right to choose ‘dignified life’, farmers’ body opposes petition against GM mustard in SC