In a major setback to the supporters of genetically modified technology in farm crops, a parliamentary panel, headed by Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury, has asked the Government to put on hold introduction of GM crops unless its bio-safety and socio-economic desirability is evaluated by an independent process and an accountability regime is put in place.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science & Technology, Environment & Forests had started looking into the issue of "GM crops and its environmental impacts" last year after a number of civil society groups complained against allowing cultivation of GM food crops such as GM mustard.
GM mustard has been developed by the Delhi University-based Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants (CGMCP). At present, cotton is the only GM crop allowed in India.
A few weeks ago, India's regulator for transgenic products, the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), under Union Environment Ministry, recommended approval for GM mustard's commercial production. Since then several coalitions of farmers, scientists and civil society groups have opposed the move.
After having detailed deliberations with a range of stakeholders, the panel concluded that the GM crops were not only hazardous to health as well as flora and fauna in the country but were also being approved without following proper law and order.
The panel, in its report tabled in Parliament recently, noted that if GM crops were safe to human health or environment as being claimed by the government agencies, the whole world would have by now adopted this technology.
"Two of the top three positions of GEAC are held by the bureaucrats of the Environment Ministry. The Committee is also of the view that there is a conflict of interest in the appointment of some of the members of GEAC. The Committee is also of the opinion that it would be in fitness of things if GEAC is headed by an expert from the field of Biotechnology given the understanding of scientific data and analysis of research and its implication before coming to a conclusion in the matter," it said.
Currently, twenty years after their introduction in 1996, only 6 countries continue to account for over 90% of all GM crop area globally (USA 40%, Brazil 23%, Argentina 14%, India 6%, Canada 6%, China 2%).
However, despite the fact that GM technology is being propagated as the most advanced agricultural technology, 17 of the 20 most developed countries do not grow it which includes most of Europe, Japan, Russia, Israel etc, the panel observed.
Tracing the growth and success of Bt cotton since its introduction in India, the panel noted, "The relevant data furnished by the government agencies for the consideration of the Committee speaks volume about the success of Bt cotton in the country. On the contrary, the members of the civil society informed the Committee that the production of cotton in the country has increased largely due to increase in area under cotton, significant increase in irrigation, fertile groundnut areas shifting to cotton, etc."
The Committee felt that farmers who were using GM seeds had lost sovereignty over the seeds since they had to purchase seeds from the seed selling companies every time even if they were not getting the fair price for their produce.
Not satisfied with the scrutiny process, the panel has recommended the whole process of evaluation of the GM crops to be carried out by an independent agency consisting of the people of impeccable credentials in the sector and expressed surprise that GEAC gave its approval for commercialisation of GM mustard even though the matter was pending in the Supreme Court.