The Hindu : `Thorough discussion must precede decision on GM technology'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 14, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

`Thorough discussion must precede decision on GM technology'

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, MARCH 13. A thorough discussion on various aspects of genetically-modified (GM) seeds and food should be held before a final decision on adopting the new GM technology is taken. This was the consensus after a public debate on "Biotechnology and shaping the future of rice", organised by the M.S.Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) here today.

While three out of four panellists favoured the introduction of the GM seeds for increasing food production, the dissenter felt that the cost of the new technology was higher than benefits.

Initiating the discussion, the MSSRF Chairman, M.S. Swaminathan, said the growth rate of rice production in the country, which was three per cent during 1985-1989, came down to 1.5 per cent and remained stagnant. This trend had to be reversed for the country to meet the food needs of the growing population. The focus should therefore be on more marketable surplus through increased productivity to help poor and marginal farmers.

M.K.Bhan, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, appealed to the people not to mix biotechnology with GM crops or foods. Biotechnology had numerous applications in health care, especially in developing new vaccines and drugs and in sustaining environment. With widespread micro-nutrient deficiency and a burgeoning population, it was necessary to find a new technology for improving productivity and new crop varieties. At present there was blind opposition to GM food. The evil effect of antibiotic was much more than that of GM food and so there was nothing wrong in taking the plunge to find a solution to the persisting problem.

However, Suman Sahai, president of the Gene Campaign, Delhi, said there should be a national consensus on introduction of GM seeds and food after an educated and informed public discussion. The benefits of the new "wonder seeds" were nothing compared to their ill-effects. India's soybean was preferred in the international market because it was not genetically modified. She warned that the country would lose its export market for foodgrains if farmers adopted GM technology for increasing production. There should be a cost and risk analysis before going in for the new technology.

William James Peacock, Chief, CSIRO, Canberra, Australia, said that after the introduction of GM cotton in his country, there was no major pest attack. More and more farmers were going in for the new variety as productivity was higher with increasing profits. The best way for developing countries to improve food production to feed their increasing population was to adopt the new technology. Gerard Barry, Golden Rice Network Coordinator, International Rice Research Institute, Philippines, said nearly 3.5 billion people were suffering from a micro-nutrient deficiency, causing a devastating impact on the economy of the developing countries.

It was possible to produce nutrient-rich rice varieties through GM technology which would be less expensive than any other supplement. The Executive Editor of The Hindu Business Line, K. Venugopal, said that though availability of hybrid varieties helped farmers in improving production, they had replaced traditional varieties liked by consumers.

He suggested a widespread discussion in a transparent manner to create a public opinion about the new technology.

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