Developing countries are adopting the Biotech crops at
faster rate, Genetically Modified (GM) crops have been cultivated more than 1.
billion hectares worldwide, 10 % of the world crop lands were planted by GM
crops in 2010, 17.3 million farmers grew GM crops in 2012. India cultivated 9.4
million hectares of GM crops in 2010. Major scientific academies and regulatory
bodies of the world from the US, Canada, UK, Germany, France, South Africa, Brazil,
Argentina, Japan, Russia, Australia and New Zealand have completely endorsed the safety and efficacy of the
science and technology of GM crops. Most of the developed nations experience
with Biotechnology crops are reliable,
alternatives to traditional pests, reduced input costs, quality in crop yields
and finally income benefits to farmers.
Achieving food and nutritional security is tough task, we
need to try all possible options like GM and conventional. Malnourishment still
exists in India, India ranked 65 among 79 nations in global hunger Index. (
High ranked = Most vulnerable).Everyone concurs that sustainable agriculture
plays a critical role for future food needs and better environment. The first
green revolution achieved by applying the chemistry and petroleum, but now the Biotechnology,
information technology and renewable energies are crux for the next green revolution. It's something
modern way of thinking for food security, economic development and environment.
Now the most of farming community has been dependent of information,
communication and technology, they are adopting modern growing techniques of precision farming like System of Rice Intensification Method in paddy cultivation, modern farm implements,
organic farming and also cultivating the transgenic commercial crops like BT
cotton.
Applying Biological solutions instead of Chemical
applications has been growing in agriculture. In India, lot of hurdles to
integrate the biotechnology into agriculture research I.e technical, political,
environmental, intellectual property, biosafety and trade related issues.
Based on the demand, it is suggested to implement Biotechnology applications in
strategic areas where the agriculture get more gains. As we know that, parliamentary
standing committee and a Supreme Court of India jointly appointed the Technical
Experts Committee (TEC) to perceive the pros and cons on GM Crops, TEC has
recommended a ban on field testing of GM crops which are under development in
both public and private labs for a decade, but it was dismissed by the courts
and now the Environment and Forests Ministry has allowed the field trials on 20
GM crops such as cotton, rice, tomato, groundnut, potato, corn, sorghum, okra,
brinjal, mustard, wheat, watermelon, papaya, sugarcane, rubber, castor, banana, pigeonpea and chickpea. Out of 20 crops, field trials were initiated for only
three crops ( Cotton, Corn, Mustard) upon obtaining the no objection certificates from the state governments.
All these actions indicate that India has positive approach
towards transgenic crops, the real challenge is that how the scientific
regulatory bodies monitor the process of trials and research. The regulatory
precautions should be implemented very meticulous and ultimately those crops must
not negatively affect on human health and environment or animals and other crops. In
India lot of apprehensions on GM crops which are related to safety aspects of
human health and environment, let us wait and watch.. how the scientists and
policy makers are going to address the public apprehensions on the GM crops
which are now in field trials Everything should be transparent in the field trial process and the research data, nothing should be hide, farmers and
consumers must be better informed.
GM seeds are expensive and the technology is protected with
stringent intellectual property laws and patented. Some of the international
seed companies are monopolizing the business by merging the small seed
companies and they are pushing their GM seeds in place of conventional. To
break the monopoly of big biotech companies, government should encourage the extensive
research and field trials through private companies and universities, so that the enhanced competition will help the small
and marginal farmers to afford the GM seeds. Nonprofit organizations and public
sector scientific agencies should focus on safe and effective application of
biotechnology to the extremely important crops for the benefit of small and
poor farmers.
