The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Madurai News : ‘GM crops as safe as conventional crops’

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Oct 06, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Madurai

‘GM crops as safe as conventional crops’

Staff Reporter

MADURAI: Genetically modified crops are as safe as conventional crops if all bio-safety requirements are fulfilled before their release, S. Kannaiyan, Chairman, National Biodiversity Authority, said.

Inaugurating a workshop organised by the Centre for Biodiversity and Forest Studies, School of Energy, Environment and Natural Resources, Madurai Kamaraj University, he said genetically modified crops were the answer to the demand for more food production, but their bio-safety of such crops on human/animal health should be ensured.

The public were more concerned with the impact of genetically modified crops on the near relative wild plants or other elements of biodiversity in the environment in which they were introduced. For it might cause genetic contamination and potential loss of genetic diversity, development of pests and diseases and herbicide resistance, which might affect human health through the food chain, he said.

The regulating agencies should strongly address the bio-safety mechanism case by case and assure public that the new genetically modified products were absolutely safe. The issue had to be addressed in an open and transparent manner using the best possible scientific expertise. At the same time, public perception and cultural practices should be taken into account in risk management, Dr. Kannaiyan said.

It had to be remembered that no generalised prescription was possible about the behaviour of a transgenic crop in the open environment. Hence, it was important to assess the impact on the environment case by case, he said and wanted social scientists and biotechnologists to work together in terms of risk assessments and bio-safety of the genetically modified crops/products and clear apprehensions of the public.

P. Maruthamuthu, Vice Chancellor, MKU, said that any research should benefit the society. It was the responsibility of the researches to find a way to clear any outcome that might be detrimental to the welfare of the people, he said.

K. Muthuchelian, organising secretary, said that the workshop would examine bio-safety governance in the country and focus on public concern about bio-safety.

S. Shanmugasundaram, Professor and Head, Department of Microbial Technology, School of Biological Sciences, Samuel Paul Raj, Chairperson, School of Energy, Environment and Natural Resources, took part.

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