Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Ban on genetically modified crops sought

Thiruvananthapuram: A two-day workshop on GM Crops and Biodiversity Conservation, organised by the Kerala State Biodiversity Board, concluded here on Friday with a call for a ban on the release of genetically modified (GM) crops into the environment and GM foods into the market.

The valedictory function of the workshop witnessed a flutter after a section of the delegates staged a walkout from the hall in protest against the remarks made by E.P. Yesodharan, Executive Vice-President of the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) in his special address.

Striking a different tone from the rest of the speakers, Mr. Yesodharan said it was too premature to declare a ban on GM products. “Scientific evidence on GM products is insufficient to justify a ban.”

Delegates who staged the walkout accused Mr. Yesodharan of contradicting the government’s stance on the issue.

Mr. Yesodharan said the global food crisis and population growth dictated urgent steps to enhance crop production. This, he said, called for much more research into GM crops and foods, instead of closing the door on emerging technologies. “The focus should be on a cautionary approach to minimise the impact of GM products on health and environment.”

Admitting the impact of GM crops on biodiversity, he said, “Biodiversity is and has always been dynamic over the ages. What we have now is not the same as we had 50 years back.” Mr. Yesodharan maintained that his opinions were personal.

But delegates representing farmers’ groups and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) alleged that the remarks ran counter to the government’s stance. “The Chief Minister who inaugurated the workshop and the Agriculture Minister who delivered the valedictory address have made it clear that the government is opposed to the introduction of GM crops. Mr. Yesodharan who heads a scientific establishment has now taken a diametrically opposite stance on the issue,” said Sreedhar, a delegate representing a city-based NGO.

Agricultural Prices Board chairman Thomas Varghese, who spoke next, termed Mr. Yesodharan’s remarks a distortion of facts. “If there is a food crisis, it is because food resources are controlled by the rich. The solution lies in sustainable methods of farming, not in promoting GM crops.” Mr. Varghese said conservation of biodiversity was crucial to the improvement of agriculture.

Earlier, inaugurating the valedictory function, Agriculture Minister Mullakara Ratnakaran reiterated the government’s commitment not to promote GM crops or their cultivation. He stressed the need to respect a farmer’s right to cultivate the crop of his choice. India would have to address the health hazards caused by GM crops and GM foods, he said.

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