Dr Abdul Rashid Choudhary
Genetically modified crops carry one or more genes from an unrelated species. This is done with the application of genetic engineering. Genetic engineering has major edges over breeding methods in scope, reliability, precision and speed. It effectively truncated the production costs by reducing the application of pesticides, etc. The Genetically Modified (GM) crops introduced in the environment can enrich the society, but, their introduction without proper evaluation can be equally detrimental. Weakly expressed insect resistant genes in GM plants can cause a change in the insect population, facilitating rapid emergence of resistance in insects. Viral resistant plants can cause the development of more virulent strains through recombination with wild strains. Herbicide plants may lead to development of super weeds. Therefore, introduction of transgenic sequence at undesirable site of the chromosome can lead to undesirable morphophysiology of the crop plants. Transgenic proteins entering into human or animal food chain can be allergic or toxic.
India started handling GM crops based on technologies of multinational companies. Indian public sector expertise is developing but is not geared for commercial exploitation. Elite planting materials available in the country can be used to agronomic advantage by incorporating transgenic traits with the assistance of technological capabilities and materials of multinational companies, Teaming up is therefore advantageous. Introduction of useful GM crops cannot be avoided or prevented because of technological and economic advantages. However, one has to evaluate their effects strictly. But, the research and development efforts on GM foods should be based on the principles of bio-ethics and special attention should be paid on bio-safety of the bio-diversity.
It will not be rational to ban the GM crops because of two reasons: first, lack of strength in the Government apparatus; secondary, the ban itself would be against the spirit of innovation and therefore lacking in moral authority. All new technology should be tested for health and ecological risks before it is approved for release on farmers’ fields. If the benefits clearly outweigh the risks and costs associated with it then we can comfortably allow such crops. If genetic modification is allowed in the sphere of medicine, then why can’t it be effectively employed to solve the food problems of the Less-Developed Countries(LDCs)? Recent developments in recombinant DNA technology offer uncommon opportunities for genetic modification of crop plants for improved quantity and quality, resistance to biotic and abiotic stress factors and developing varieties for superior nutritional characteristics. Globally, Genetically Modified (GM) food crops have been adopted at a dramatic rate since 1995. In 2001, about 52.6 million hectares of global land were planted with transgenic crops grown by 5.5 million farmers in 13 countries. The increased in the area under cultivation of GM crops between 2000 and 2001 was about 19 percent.
There are three broad ways that GM crops can benefit consumers. Firstly, GMCs provides new tools to improve crop productivity, both by making conventional breeding faster and more efficient through insertion of novel genes in crop species, This includes the ability to bring unfavorable growing environments under production. Secondly, pesticide applications may be reduced and third most important benefit is that transgenic methods may be used to improve the micronutrient content and /or bioavailability of commonly eaten foods in developing countries like India.
While benefits are attractive, there are concerns that genetic modifications achieved through transgenic techniques may result in harm. Majority of the concerns pertains to the toxicity and allergenicity that these modified foods may cause to the consumers. In addition, there are also concerns of gene transfer to unintended organisms like that of wild relatives and soil micro flora. The impact of terminator technology and expansion of proprietary science needs careful consideration and monitoring. The introduction of genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) into the food chain is regulated and well-controlled at various stages by both the governmental and international regulatory systems such as technology patenting; field-testing of the crop; animal and human consumption trials; approval for commercial use as a crop and for human and animal consumption.
The current lack of clearly demonstrated benefits to consumers of transgenic modifications, and conflicting views about the likelihood of unintended adverse effects are influencing the public’s views on the acceptability and log-term safety of Genetically Modified Foods (GMFs). Indeed most concerns in the current debate about GMFs appear to focus on the actual and/or perceived knowledge gaps related to the safety of unintended changes in food composition arising from genetic modifications, the safety of the inserted gene itself and the potential for transferring gene products from one organism to another.
The future of the GM crops in the coming years will largely be determined by clear consumer advantages and recognizably reduced environmental risks compared to the traditional crops. In the population rich developing world, there are emerging food and health security challenges as well as opportunities for improved living conditions, as a result of ongoing revolutions in science and technology particularly in the field of molecular genetics. A judicious blend in application of cutting edge technologies with adequate precautions and a science-based safety assessment and monitoring system coupled with essential policy supports will help in harnessing the potential of biotechnology revolution in addressing pressing problems of food, health, nutrition and water security in the coming years.
Limited experience of GM foods in India has revealed the associated problems for its widespread acceptance. Corn Soy blend, imported from the U.S. has been distributed in India to provide supplementary nutrition to women and children. In the U.S. currently 74% of soyabean and 32% of maize grown belong to the GM category and are not segregated from their no-GM counterparts. The Government of India had earlier withheld permission for the import of certain consignments of Corn Soy blend.
The experience of farmers in Andhra Pradesh in the first year of commercial production is not encouraging. This could have been due to the fact that, though the pest that attacks the cotton was present, perhaps they were not in sufficient numbers to affect the yield and hence the farmers have not experienced a net benefit by cultivating the Bt-cotton as compared to the con-Bt-cotton. Cultivation of Bt-cotton is thus promising only in years and areas, If there is a major attack by a particular insect. Further, in some major cotton growing areas like Guntur district of AP, foliar sprays of Bacillus thuringensis had been used in the past as natural insecticide, In such areas chances are that foliar insecticide will become less effective. Actual research studies to find out the type of effects are not available. If so, in the Indian varieties, unlike their American counterparts the expression of the Bt-toxins should be more in the bolls rather than in the leaves.
There are at least a dozen varieties of transgenic rice cultivars that are on the anvil or under development in the green house. Among these, the various nutritional improvements such as enhancement of provitamin A content, iron, protein and amino acids are considered to be of considerable significance to the consumers in India. It is claimed that the transgenic golden rice has great potential for alleviating Vitamin A deficiency in the country. At the current level of intake of the rice and the levels of beta-carotene present, it may be able to meet only a small percentage of total recommended daily intakes. The bio-availability of beta-carotene in the Indian context needs to be adequately studied in view of the non adequate protein and fat stores and intestinal infection among malnourished children. Similarly, the bio-availability of iron also needs to be examined. The Indian Regulatory authorities are accused of taking an unduly long time for approval, indecision, not specifying requirements in advance and lacks of transparency in the decision making process. Even in developed countries it is now well accepted that the methodology used for assessing the risks from the Genetically Modified Foods are not robust or sensitive enough and the molecular and genetic effects of the technology are unpredictable in nature. In fact uncertainty is an entity in the nascent science of Risk Analysis, Under these circumstances it is prudent to follow a cautionary approach while considering the application of largescale cultivation or import of Genetically Modified foods.
(The author is the Chairman at Earth Foundation International)
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