Farmer community in Gujarat has raised objection to the union agriculture minister, Sharad Pawar’s appeal to the state governments to permit field trials of genetically modified food crops. Farmer body, Bhartiya Kisan Sangh (BKS) has alleged that Pawar has colluded with the multi-national seed companies to act against the interests of the country’s farmers. “It is unfortunate that our union agriculture minister, who has the responsibility to ensure welfare of the farmers and achieve food security for the country, is pressing for field trials of GM crops despite the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture had recommended to stop all field trails,” said Ambubhai Patel, national secretary, Bhartiya Kisan Sangh.

The Consortium of Indian Farmers’ Associations (CIFA) and the Federation of Independent Farmers’ Associations (FIFA) will be filing a petition in the Supreme Court opposing the recommendation of an expert panel appointed by it for a 10-year moratorium on genetically-modified crop trials. Lok Satta Party National President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan, who also heads FIFA, and CIFA Secretary General P. Chengal Reddy announced this at a media conference here today. Dr. JP disclosed the Prime Minister had favorably responded to his suggestion that the Government of India should make out a strong case against the proposed move for a moratorium on GM crop trials.

A top scientist engaged in research on genetically modified food crops has been found to have falsified claims about patents to grab a national award. The scientist, Dr Kailash C. Bansal, was given the prestigious Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Award for ”outstanding research” in transgenic crops for the year 2007-2008 on the basis of claims that he had”filed three patents for novel gene discovery”, including one on transgenic brinjal . In reality, no such patent application or patent existed when he was given the award on July 16, 2009.

Before considering an interim recommendation for a 10-year moratorium on field trials of genetically modified food crops, the Supreme Court on Monday decided to seek the views of all stakeholders, including the agriculture ministry and the GM crop industry, on the contentious issue. Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for PIL petitioner Aruna Rodrigues, requested a bench of Justices Swatanter Kumar and S J Mukhopadhaya to order suspension of all field trials of GM food crops in the rabi season based on the recommendation of the court-constituted Technical Expert Committee. [...] Despite the petitioner’s strong opposition, the court allowed the Association of Biotech-led Enterprises, of which leading GM seed producer Monsanto is a member, to place its views on the TEC’s recommendations.

The newly appointed Science and Technology Minister, S Jaipal Reddy today said science was not clear yet on the issue of GM crops and it should not be treated as an ideological issue. ”I think the problem of GM crops is under discussion at the global level. Scientific consensus has not finally emerged. Debate is on at a global level. Science is not clear yet,” he said here. He said a panel of experts appointed by the Supreme Court had submitted an interim report on GM crops to the apex court recently. ”I don't think it should be treated as an ideological issue but as a scientific issue...The ministry requires more time to study the interim report,” Reddy said, adding that he was not in a position to give a final view on an interim report.

A group of cotton growers from Punjab and Haryana has flayed the recommendation of Supreme Courtappointed panel for 10-year moratorium on open field trials of genetically modified crops. The cotton farmers under the banner of 'Nau Jawan Kisan Club' claimed that the moratorium on research into biotechnology will have a ruinous effect on them, as they will be denied crucial technology for further preventing crop from weeds and other diseases. ”We currently face several farm productivity challenges like lack of timely farm labour availability, high labour cost, insects, weeds, diseases, unpredictable water and nutrient availability.

Prof C Kameswara Rao, Executive Secretary, the Foundation for Biotechnology Awareness and Education (FBAE), Bangalore, said, ”The Indian farmers have to produce enough to meet the needs of growing population, without enlarging arable land or irrigation facilities in a fast changing climate. Such interventions as GM technology will play a crucial role in providing the necessary means to enable farmers to produce more using fewer resources.” [...] Eminent biotechnologists, agricultural scientists and heads of agribiotechindustry came together against the recommendations of the Technical Expert Committee appointed by the Supreme Court of India, to address certain issues related to agricultural biotechnology.

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to ban open field trials on genetically modified crops despite a court-appointed expert panel recommending a 10-year halt on them. Hearing a public interest litigation filed by anti-GM food activist Aruna Rodrigues, a two-judge bench of the apex court instead invited views of all the stakeholders on the expert panel's report. Rodrigues had sought the court's intervention to stop the field trials until a new set of regulatory conditions is enforced, as suggested by the expert panel. Her lawyer Prashant Bhushan argued that a ban was necessary as open field trials in the current form could lead to contamination of indigenous species and loss of bio-diversity.

Farmers affiliated to the Bhartiya Kisan Union on Thursday protested against field trials of genetically modified corn at the Regional Research Station of Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University in Kurukshetra. [...] Hundreds of agitating farmers were seen carrying banners and placards, stating “Monsanto GM Corn—Quit India”. They raised slogans against the technology and the Indian government for allowing the trials. Addressing the protestors, BKU Haryana state president Gurnam Singh said: “It has been a month now since our delegation met the state agriculture minister Paramvir Singh and requested him to stop GM trials in the state. But it’s unfortunate that our state government has failed to act. So the onus is now on us farmers to protect our fields from contamination.”

Several farmers’ leaders in Andhra Pradesh have asked the State Government not to allow GM crop trials. Representatives of an all-party farmers’ unions have met Agriculture Minister Kanna Lakshminarayana on Sunday evening and requested him not to give permission for the GM field trials in the State. “You should consider giving permission only after a holistic study,” the farmers’ leaders had said. “They also asked the Minister not to give permission for GM trials at all in food crops. The Minister assured them that the Government would take a decision only after discussing the issue with all stakeholders,” an official of the Agriculture Ministry said.