GM crops: scientific analysis needed, not hype
ASHOK B SHARMA
Financial Express, February 14, 2005
http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=82555

The commercial cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops across the globe completes nine years - just a year left to complete a decade.

All through these years much of the time was spent on creating hypes, instead of addressing the issues of genuine public concerns in a valid scientific manner.

An instance of such a hype comes from the recent preview of the global status of commercialised GM crops conducted by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA). The ISAAA has designated 14 countries along with India as 'biotech mega-countries'.

The only criteria used for judging a 'biotech mega-country' is that which grows GM crops over an area of 50,000 hectare or more.

ISAAA has been too generous in conferring the status of 'biotech mega-country' to India. But for what reasons?

India has approved only three varieties of Bt cotton for commercial cultivation and that in select cotton-growing areas. In fact, Bt cotton is the only GM crop approved so far for commercial cultivation.

As per ISAAA, the area coverage under Bt cotton in India in 2004 increased by 400% to be at 500,000 hectare. Thus India qualifies the ISAAA criteria to be designated as 'biotech mega-country.'

The ISAAA, however, admits in a passing reference that the total cotton area in country is nine million hectare. The reference of nine million cotton area pertains to the year 2003. The cotton area in the country has increased in 2004 to about 10 million hectare. In comparison to the total cotton area in the country, the coverage of Bt cotton is still minuscule. Further to justify the given status of biotech mega-country, the ISAAA estimated that Bt cotton was grown in 11% of the area where hybrid cotton was cultivated. It has estimated hybrid cotton area at 4 million hectare.

Strangely, India with a minuscule area coverage under Bt cotton can become a 'biotech mega-country' as per ISAAA estimate. The ISAAA further said that the acceptance of Bt cotton amongst farmers is growing. It gave the old data of a survey conducted by Neilson & Co on behalf of Monsanto showing benefits to 75,000 farmers who had grown Bt cotton in 2003 over an area of 100,000 hectare.

The report gives a hope for further commercialisation of GM crops in India saying: 'Bt cotton provides both China and India with the confidence and experience to approve their first biotech food crops - rice in China and eggplant in India.'

Regulatory approval for eggplant in India will definitely take more time than what ISAAA expects. It has yet to pass through various stage of clearances. It is natural to expect hypes of GM technology from ISAAA which is supported by the seed multinationals. But a genuine review of the situation should be one which reflects and analyses the real situation.

This article, however, is not analysing the status of other 13 ‘biotech mega-countries’ mentioned by ISAAA due to lack of reliable comparative data. But commenting on the global situation in general, it can be said that the increase in GM crop are as stated by ISAAA and is due to new countries approving GM crops for cultivation. The increase in area coverage may not necessarily mean more acceptance of the technology. It may also suggest that farmers are experimenting on GM crops to see as to whether they give them adequate benefits as compared to conventional crops.

The ISAAA report said that Indonesia and Bulgaria pulled out of the biotech race as the regulatory authorities in these countries did not extend “permits” beyond 2003. But why the permits were not extended? The ISAAA report is silent!

The ISAAA report says of Paraguay officially joining the biotech race after years illegal cultivation of soyabean. Illegal cultivation of GM crops was also in Brazil before the official approval.

There are still illegal cultivation of Bt cotton in several parts of India where it is not yet approved. This is a genuine public concern which needs to be addressed. Concerns are there that if the GM crops are cultivated without following the scientific protocols it may cause health and environmental hazards. The onus lies both upon the advocates of the technology and the regulatory authority.

The ISAAA stated that the global market for biotech crop at $5 billion by 2005. This is much less in size as compared to the market for organic food which is estimated at $37 billion. This raises a moot question: Should farmers go for biotech crops or organic farming?

It is desirable that a research study should engage more on a comparative analysis rather than have an intention to create hypes.