"The opposition to GM foods was so heated that some protesters burnt effigies."
Reuters
By
Rina Chandran"MUMBAI, Feb 16 (Reuters) - The purple eggplant that Indian shopper Tanuja Krishnan picks out at a Mumbai market stall every week is an unlikely protagonist in a raging debate about whether genetically modified foods should be introduced into India.
A genetically modified version of eggplant, a staple in fiery curries, was slated to be the first GM food introduced into India in a bid to stabilise food prices and mitigate some of the effects of climate change on Indian food crop yields.
Yet, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh blocked the release of the vegetable until further notice following an outcry by environmentalists and some farmers. The opposition to GM foods was so heated that some protesters burnt(eggplant) effigies.
Ramesh said there was not enough public trust to support the introduction of such crops into India's food supply until more research was done to remove all doubts that GM foods were safe for consumption.
But while those from the camp that opposed GM foods are celebrating, there are concerns that rising food prices will be a major problem for Indian policymakers in the future unless the country starts embracing genetically-modified food crops.
"This is bad for the country's agricultural and biotechnology future. Our scientists have lost their credibility, companies will be unwilling to invest more money, and it will take us a long time to pick up the pieces again," said C. Kameshwar Rao, an official at the Foundation for Biotechnology Awareness & Education, a GM advocacy institute.
"Scientists can't win a shouting match with politicians."
India's farm sector has changed very little since the advent of the Green Revolution with crop yields failing to keep up with soaring population growth and rising incomes.
At the same time, damage to crops from pests and disease have worsened due to rising temperatures from climate change.
HYBRIDS
Known as Bt brinjal, the Indian word for aubergine, the GM vegetable is able to resist some pests responsible for devastating crops across India thanks to a gene from soil bacteria called 'bacillus thuringniensis' (Bt).
The thought of eating a genetic hybrid has made consumers such as Krishnan wary. "I would try it to see if it tastes any different, if it has fewer pests, but I think I would prefer organic brinjal just to be safe," she said.
The moratorium against the release of the GM eggplant followed harsh criticism by environmentalists and farmers who demanded rigorous testing and labelling standards before Bt brinjal was cultivated.
"Stringent monitoring measures should be immediately put in place to ensure that no releases of GM crops happens," said Rajesh Krishnan, a manager for sustainable agriculture at Greenpeace India.
India's Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) opened the way for the commercial cultivation of Bt brinjal last October, seven years after approving Bt cotton, which is now grown on more than 80 percent of total cotton area.
Thanks to genetically modified cotton, India has become the world's second largest cotton producer and exporter after China, with about 5 million farmers growing Bt cotton.
"Our experience with Bt cotton has showed the technology has benefited the farmer, the consumer and the states' economies," said Bhagirath Choudhary, head of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) in Delhi.
"We have a solid case in Bt cotton, with higher yields, double the output and less use of insecticide. But the technology is so sophisticated, the general public is ignorant about it." India is among the top biotech crop growing countries, trailing only Argentina, Brazil and the United States.
NO OTHER OPTION
India is the world's second largest producer of eggplant after China and the vegetable is also used in traditional medicine to treat diabetes and hypertension.
About 1.4 million farmers grow eggplant, which is very susceptible to pest attacks. Farmers tend to spray the crop with pesticides 30-50 times during a crop cycle.
"The brinjal we eat now is more harmful because of the pesticide residue," said Raju Shetty, a farmer leader in western Maharashtra state and a member of parliament.
He supported Bt brinjal because he said "it will cut the cost of pesticide and boost yields. That's what farmers are seeking".
Even though the GM seeds for the vegetable would likely cost three times the price and farmers would need to purchase seeds for every sowing rather than reusing crop seeds, proponents say the extra expenses would be compensated by lower pesticide costs and less devastating crop loses.
Expanding India's food supply is crucial in a country of one billion people, with predictions the population might reach 1.4 billion by 2025...."
Comments
See All Comments (38) Post CommentFeb 15, 2010 9:10pm EST
Does anyone proofread these articles? ….. “About 1.4 billion farmers grow eggplant…” Really? REALLY?? I’m supposed to believe that nearly 1 out of every 4 people on the planet are eggplant farmers?!? ….. “in a country of one billion people, with predictions the population might reach 1.4 million by 2025…” C’mon now. How does a country ‘reach’ a population level that is 85% LOWER than it’s current total?!? rovibe
Feb 15, 2010 9:20pm EST
I see India has just as many idiots as the rest of the world. Genetic engineering has the potential to be the biggest step forward the world has even seen, of more benefit to mankind than the automobile and the computer combined. Yet superstitious ignorance is blocking it.ttowntom
Feb 15, 2010 9:35pm EST
wondered why Government Motors was now into farmingcolliefan
Feb 15, 2010 10:02pm EST
Please stop the “experiment”. Supporters of GMO’s are not aware of the facts. The facts are that there are studies that show that there are intestines lined with Bacteria that is producing Round up in our own stomachs. I’m not making this up. You can’t make this stuff up, folks, it’s too horrible. No thanks to GMO’s, please pass the organic vegitables. NoToGMO
Feb 15, 2010 10:35pm EST
Oh great, I suppose another GM plant will close now………fetathinhowl
Feb 15, 2010 11:08pm EST
Interesting aside: After tobacco, eggplant has the next highest nicotine content of any known plant. So if these people don’t get their eggplant, there might be problems…Lakini
Feb 15, 2010 11:17pm EST
When Obama hears that there’s a debate over a ‘GM plant’ in India, he’ll just jack us for another hundred billion tax dollars, then go on TV and say “General Motors is too big to fail…” rovibe
Feb 15, 2010 11:28pm EST
“After tobacco, eggplant has the next highest nicotine content of any known plant.” –Lakini
Make that third behind Springfield’s famous Tomacco plant!!Comet
Feb 15, 2010 11:58pm EST
FOOD FIGHT!!!
Stop It !!
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