The Hindu Business Line : Greenpeace flays report on GM crops

The report suggests giving a blanket approval to gene constructs and rejects the need of evaluating each application of the construct in different uses.

Bangalore , May 17

GREENPEACE has criticised some of the recommendations of the Dr M.S. Swaminathan `Task Force on Application of Biotechnology in Agriculture' on several counts, labelled the report short-sighted, and stated that it was too early in the debate to be formulating a biotech policy - especially since the impact and desirability of GM crops was still being evaluated the world over.

Speaking to Business Line, Greenpeace's Indian advisor Dr Ashesh Tayal said that its copy of the Swaminathan Task Force report "assumes that genetically engineered crops are the way forward for Indian agriculture, ignoring the fact that the debate on GMOs as the `future' of agriculture continues to be a heated one, both domestically and internationally, because of the long-term economic and environmental risks''.

According to Dr Tayal, the report suggests giving a blanket approval to gene constructs and rejects the need of evaluating each application of the construct in different uses.

It suggests, for instance, that that the Bt gene construct be approved without evaluating the environmental impact of the Bt gene being applied to cotton or rice or maize or brinjal.

It is accepted that new genes function differently in different species and environments, that their impacts may vary drastically and that they must be regulated on a case-by-case basis.

"The recommendation not only gives approval for unknown consequences but also endangers the biodiversity of the country as well as threatening some export crops.''

For instance, BT rice might contaminate basmati crops through cross-pollination and endanger the export of basmati rice to GM-resistant markets such as the EU.

"Greenpeace also takes exception to the recommendation that a biotechnologist head a new agri-biotechnology regulatory authority instead of the current broad-based Genetic Engineering Approval Committee,'' he said.

Further, the Task Force recommends the conservation of biodiversity and organic zones while also suggesting that GM-crop zones could co-exist with them.

"Environmental realities will not permit such a co-existence without contamination and genetically-modified contaminants in `organic food' could put a halt to access to the lucrative organic food markets in the West, apart from the threat to biodiversity."

Considering that many State Governments, including Meghalaya, Sikkim, and Himachal Pradesh, have declared themselves `organic', Governments must seriously evaluate the impact of such blanket approvals on their policies, he added.

Greenpeace also opposes the Task Force's tendency to go in for late-stage policy-making efforts while the very question of allowing genetic modification is itself being evaluated by countries across the world.

"Without evaluating the impact of GMOs we cannot go in for a policy and framework of regulatory and approval processes. That is jumping the gun.''

GM wheat has been recently withdrawn in Canada and GM canola was withdrawn in Australia.

The issue requires public debate, scientific research and impact assessment, according to Greenpeace.