GM crops are a contentious issue in the nation. While backers say the high yielding GM crops can address hunger issues and also bring down prices of food and commodities, activists claim it is dangerous for the environment and the health of its citizens.
As recently as 2010, India was known for its anti-GMO policies (India placed a moratorium on GM eggplant and that too after an expert panel had given its clearance, effectively bringing the regulatory system to a deadlock). That all changed with the election of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who sees GM crops as critical to India's goal of attaining self-sufficiency.
It was Modi, after all, who was instrumental in making Gujarat India's leading user of GM cotton while Chief Minister there (Only Bt Cotton was allowed to be commercially grown in India till now).
On Monday, genetically modified mustard got the scientific nod and safe tag from the green ministry categorically stating that the variety does not "pose any risk of causing any adverse effects on human and animal health and safety".
And while the report which has been posted on the Environment Ministry website invites comments, whether for or against, a “final call” on whether GM mustard should be declared safe for commercial cultivation will be taken only after everything has been given due consideration. Only then will the GM mustard be released for use in farmer fields.
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ALL ABOUT GMO
Crops are genetically modified to improve their resistance to drought, heat and pests“ an important issue in an era when climate change is making existing agricultural challenges worse. Proponents of GMOs argue that these hybrids reduce the necessity for pesticides required to grow food.
At the same time, genetic modification can make crops much more productive. GM cotton more than doubled cotton yield since it was adopted in 2001.
Activists are also concerned that the introduction of genetically modified foods could reduce biodiversity, which is important for plant survival. Biodiversity allows plants to adapt to external changes and ensure food production, according to the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Anti-GMO activists say corporations developing genetically modified seeds do not have the best interests of farmers in sight. GM seeds tend to be more expensive than conventional varieties and farmers have to buy them every year“ they can’t replant seeds.
But pro-GMO activists say the higher yield of genetically modified crops makes up for the higher cost of acquiring the seeds. They also point to an oft-cited but misleading study used by anti-GMO activists.
In 2012, a study claimed that claimed genetically modified corn causes tumours in rats. The study was largely discredited a year later.
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Dr. Vandana Shiva, food security activist
