The GEAC (Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee) of the Government of India has recently given permission for ‘environmental release’—an euphemistic term for ‘commercial cultivation’—of GM Mustard on the application of the Delhi University’s Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants; only the final step of formal approval by the environment minister remains.
It may be recalled that BT Brinjal was rejected for commercial approval by the then minister Jairam Ramesh, after all formalities had been completed with a reasoned ‘Speaking Order’, despite huge pressures. Indeed, GM Mustard, sponsored by German conglomerate Bayer, was rejected by Indian regulatory agencies for commercial release in India in 2002. The reasons for the rejection then are fully valid today.
The main reason trotted out for introducing GM Mustard relates to higher yields—a totally unsubstantiated claim. Indeed, of the top 13 mustard-rapeseed growing countries, only three are permitted for GM seeds—none of these exceed yields of 2,000 kg/hectare, compared to non-GM yields in the UK, Germany, France and Czech, which routinely exhibit yields of 3,000 kg/hectare. Blind proponents of GM crops routinely flog higher yield as the main raison d’être, which is contrary to the facts; conveniently not mentioning the other major negative effects of GM cultivation.
The proposed GM Mustard is a herbicide-tolerant GMO (genetically modified organism), which is not good news for the health of farmers, consumers, bees, and rural employment. The international experience is of wide expansion of highly undesirable herbicides as a result of herbicide-tolerant GM varieties, leading to serious environmental and health issues. Indeed in 2015, the WHO classified glyphosate as ‘probably carcinogenic’. The Federation of Medical Professionals in Argentina, representing 30,000 doctors and health professionals, asked for a ban on GM crops and glyphosate herbicides due to its health impacts.
The repeated argument is that BT Cotton, introduced in the second half of ’90s, has been a huge success in enhancing cotton production in India. Fifteen years of experience has now exploded the myth of the Cotton revolution. The reasons for growth in production primarily relate to increase in area, enhanced prices, timely water availability and doubling of chemical fertiliser use.
On the other hand, there is strong reason to suspect that the sharp increase in farmer suicides in the country could possibly be related to the fluctuation and uncertainty in GM Cotton yields; linked to inability to provide timely irrigation for GM hybrids in rain-fed plots, as is the general agricultural scene in India. Internationally, a large number of countries with higher cotton yields do not grow BT Cotton. Note that cotton is not edible—our cotton experience, even though many protagonists may call it highly successful (wrongly), ought not to be extended to edible crops. There are more adverse reasons against introduction of GM in Indian agriculture—too numerous to mention.
In short, there are too many strong adverse effects of GM, well-established— against the extremely doubtful claims (indeed disproved in most circumstances) of higher yields. Blind faith in ‘modern technology’ is not adequate to usher in an ‘unnatural and imprecise breeding technology with living organisms’.
Particularly, when there is enough evidence that it is an ‘unstable, unpredictable, irreversible, and uncontrollable’ technology being deployed, especially in our food and farming systems, with implications for health, environment, agriculture and exports. Note that there is a strong probability of contamination of honey through GM Mustard hybrid. This could likely have adverse impact on our exports of agricultural commodities. The fact is that 17 of the 20 developed countries in the world have consciously rejected GM agriculture, it will be folly to assume that their policy makers are ignorant fools.
Monsanto, a GM company, is the supplier of GM Cotton seeds in India. Notably, Bayer is set to merge with Monsanto. Large international GM companies have deep pockets—the influence they wield on the research labs and agriculture universities in India is enormous. The tobacco industry in the US was able to influence all concerned to turn a benign eye on the adverse effects of tobacco, and delay firm governmental action for over 70 years!
A case in point is the recent gratuitously publicised resolution of the Indian National Academy of Agricultural Sciences that they fully endorse the new Indian GM variety—without uncharitably going into the technical credentials and credibility of this agency. It is important to note that they have no authority, knowledge or experience to talk of the social, commercial, economic, health, environmental and other aspects in this regard.
The diversity of mustard varieties in India is astonishing. The developed world now craves increasingly ‘natural’ foods. India is well poised to diversify and develop its agriculture to produce natural food products. It will be foolhardy to throw away our advantages, and invite disaster in this sector with insufficient foresight. The processing of the approval for GM Mustard needs immediate termination.
tsrsubramanian@gmail.com