Agricultural biotechnology (also known as genetic-engineering technology) is driving output of crops such as soyabean, corn and cotton up, especially in the US and other countries. Biotechnology offers promise as a means of improving food security and reducing pressures on the environment, provided the perceived environmental threats from biotechnology itself are addressed. [...] For developing countries where conventional approaches have failed, the technology may deliver solutions.

US-based biotech major Monsanto is planning to launch a new hybrid version of cotton in India for commercial cultivation by 2011, notwithstanding the criticism over its existing products in the country and allegations that yields from the cotton seeds are much below claims. After the success of Bollgard I and Bollgard II genetically modified (GM) cotton, Mahyco-Monsanto Biotech (MMB) is hopeful that its Roundup Ready Flex (RRF), a second generation hybrid would be commercialised in the next two-three years.

Although China is an early starter in transgenic agriculture, India has overtaken its northern neighbour in terms of the area under Bt cotton cultivation and the number of genetically modified (GM) crops in the pipeline for approval. [...] In India by 2006 four events including double-stacked genes were deployed on 62 cotton hybrids. One event, the GFM developed by Nath Seeds featuring fused genes cry 1Ab and cry 1Ac was sourced from China. An indigenous event was developed by JK Seeds featuring cry 1Ac gene was sourced from IIT, Kharagpur. Apart from this, the rest of Bt technology in use in India is owned by Monsanto, licenced to Mahyco and sub-licenced to other seed Companies.

Jayalakshmi K talks to two experts who present the two sides of genetically modified crops. Are we in Bangalore (and other parts of India) eating genetically modified (GM) food? Yes, according to Kavitha Kuruganti of Centre for Sustainable Agriculture. ”I was looking through some of the products on the shelves of the retail outlets. Lots of GM originated source material imported from US,” she says. But how can she say that? ”Any product that has soya, corn, canola, cottonseed as ingredient is quite sure to have GM components. In the US 90 percent of the soya is genetically modified variety. As they don’t have a system of segregation of GM and non-GM, you can be quite sure we are eating that.” Eating GM food is the least of the problem associated with the technology. Many tests have shown that allergens are few as ”no protein sequence used is similar to allergenic protein sequence,” says S Shantharam, an active proponent of GM technology.

When an unapproved genetically engineered (GE) crop was discovered in American rice last year, it triggered the biggest marketing and financial disaster in the history of the US rice industry. We commissioned an independent economist to do some maths; he found that total costs could exceed USD$1.2 billion. [...] Bayer’s response to the disaster, which has destroyed the livelihoods of thousands of people, from growers to producers to sellers, was to blame God. Seriously, they claimed that the contamination scandal was probably caused by ”an Act of God.” Even by biotech industry standards, this is beyond grotesque.

India’s stunning economic success in recent years, fueled by its technology services sector, obscures the fact that it is still predominantly a nation of farmers. Almost 60 percent of India’s 1.1 billion people depend on agriculture for their livelihood. [...] The rise in cotton production is often linked (Hindu Business Line) to introduction of the genetically modified Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) cotton seed, which entered the Indian markets in 2002. Many experts oppose the use of Bt cotton, saying farmers have to take on huge debts every year to buy the expensive seeds and have struggled to make them productive.

The Supreme Court on Friday issued a showcause notice to Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) to explain as to why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against them for approving field trials of new genetically modified (GM) crops. The apex court gave four weeks time to GEAC to respond. On September 13, petitioners Aruna Rodrigues and PV Satheesh had filed a petition against three members of GEAC-chairman BS Parsheera, co-chairman, CD Mayee and member-secretary Ranjini Warrier for deliberately disobeying the explicit orders of the Supreme Court passed on September 22, 2006, May 8, 2007 and August 1, 2007.

Avesthagen has developed technologies that make crops resistant to drought and saline conditions. ”I’d not call these genetically engineered crops; they are ’environmentally adjusted’ crops,” said Villoo Morawala Patell, founder and managing director of Avesthagen, sidestepping controversies related to genetically modified seeds. Atash will start rolling out drought and salinity-tolerant cereal (maize, millet and sorghum) and vegetable seeds from 2008-09.

The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA), with a view to promote transgenic technology in agriculture, has decided to facilitate visits of Indian farmers to Europe to narrate the success stories of Bt cotton cultivation in the country.

Dr Guy van Eede, unit head, biotechnology and GMOs, European Commisions's Joint Research Centre, Italy, gave a sneak peek into how GMOs are flourishing in the EU due to a strong consumer involvement, along with strict regulatory norms and absolute traceability from the point of production or import down to the table and vice versa. He also outlined the role of co-existence between organic, traditional and GM plant from the seed throughout the production chain and good post-market monitoring for the success of GM crops there.