Even as the nation was debating the Jan Lokpal Bill in August 2011, and the satyagraha led by Anna Hazare was on, quite shockingly, the Parliament listed the highly controversial Biotechnology Regulatory Authority Bill (BRAI) in its list of businesses. But, fortunately it has not been tabled since, as the house has been literally arrested by the corruption issues inside and outside, and there have been widespread objections to the introduction of the Bill as well.
The BRAI Bill in its proposed mandate intends to “promote the safe use of modern biotechnology (simply meaning Genetically Modified (GM) Organisms and Products)”. The fundamental concerns surrounding GM crops and food, vis-a-vis its potential danger to public health and the environment which is causing fear even in developed countries, has been completely ignored in this Bill. India is one among those countries where there is a massive public opposition to GM crops even from front-line scientists, farmers’ organisations and environmentalists, and many public interest citizens. In December 2011, 10 prominent retired Chief Justices of the High Courts and Justices of the Supreme Court sent a joint statement of concern to the Prime Minister opposing the introduction of the BRAI Bill.

Bt Cotton – a trigger for disaster
It is now a well-known fact from the ground that Bt Cotton, the first GM crop that got introduced in India in 2002, has changed the agrarian landscape in the regions where it is grown. Cotton seed sector that was once controlled by the farmers and the Indian seed companies - through desi seeds and improved varieties has now been completely monopolised by Monsanto, a multi-national seed company using its patented gene Bt and franchising it to Indian seed companies. Bt Cotton, and its hundreds of hybrids were supposed to bring down pesticide use, but now cotton scientists have shown that it has actually increased pesticide use by at least 25%. And now, the seed companies are experimenting on more complicated and possibly dangerous processes of stacking many genes and hence traits such as multiple pesticidal as well as herbicide tolerant genes into one plant, that could trigger a disaster of unknown dimension on public health and environment. Bt Cotton has also been recognised as one of the reasons for the increasing farmer debts and the agrarian distress in these regions, leading to farmer suicides.
But this story did not end with Bt Cotton, as it should have. On October 14, 2009, under immense pressure from agri-business corporates, India approved its first genetically modified (GM) food crop for commercial cultivation. It was the poor man’s vegetable – the Brinjal on whose head the sword fell. Bt brinjal, with the same bacterial gene, owned by Monsanto was approved for cultivation and use by India’s top regulatory body – the then Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC). Twenty-four hours later, the Minister for Environment and Forests, Jairam Ramesh, woke up to the massive objections raised from all quarters in the country, to freeze the decision. The decision was then opened up for one of the most unprecedented and unparalleled public consultation process that saw more than 8000 people attending seven consultations in major cities in India. On February 9, 2010, the MoEF declared a moratorium on Bt Brinjal, and ordered further safety studies.
Two years since, it’s now raining GM crop research. Many biotech companies and institutions have genetically modified literally all the crops of the aam aadmi, and this includes almost all the food crops including all the grains. And for the coming seasons of 2011-12, the GEAC has given approval for more than a 100 open air field trials of about 13 crops spanning 16 states. This is unprecedented, and literally amounts to unleashing a biological disaster across the country – a threat to our biodiversity, biosafety and even national biosecurity. This clearance has been given, inspite of the repeated failure by GEAC to ensure biosafety and stop violations of the same in so many such field trials in Karnataka, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Chattisgarh and even West Bengal, in previous seasons. Such large scale approvals also come in the wake of continued public and state governments’ oppositions. The good news is that, most state governments, barring a few like Haryana and Andhra Pradesh, have used their powers to disapprove such field trials.

GM crops – studies show serious impacts on organs
Meanwhile, the big question is – Why GM crops? The claims by the proponents – mostly the seed corporates and a few biotech scientists - are tall. They see GM crops as a panacea to all the problems in the agriculture and food sector. In fact they even go to the extent of claiming improvements in living standards due to GM crops. But what do the science, experience and research from across the world show? GM crops, as is recognised even by definition are products of an unnatural crossing at a genetic level between such organisms that can never be crossed at a natural level. It’s a technological tool that has achieved the impossible – that is, break the natural reproductive barrier between species. Simply speaking, it has intruded into the evolutionary process, not only in bypassing species evolution, but also sometimes even making sexually compatibility unnecessary in reproductive processes. The catch here is that even while clear evidence is not available as to the safety, security and ethical correctness of using such technology, its products have found ways into the market. GM corn, soya, cotton, canola etc., are being used by human beings and even fed to children. This is at the same time when studies have been compiled across the globe that shows lab and field level data indicating serious impacts on almost all the organs in the human body. Genetic Roulette, a voluminous book by Jeffrey Smith, is a gripping compilation of 65 such health impacts. This is a book which no GM industry has dared to challenge, but sadly many decision makers also tend to ignore.

‘Gene battle’ by corporates against farmers
Then, the claims about GM crops and food security. If one were to just consider the situation in India, which is touted as a food insecure country, the Indian Government procures about 55 Million MT of wheat and rice to distribute to its poor and hungry – under the PDS system. And the Planning Commission says that even if a Universal PDS is adopted with at least 75% coverage then the Government has to procure 65 Million MT every year. Do we have such production? Here is the fact. India has been producing more than 200 Million MT every year since at least a decade, and this year it has been 238 Million MT! So where is the food security crisis? Why do we need a GM crop to increase production? And actually, does GM crop increase production? The Union of Concerned Scientists of the US, came out with a 20-year study of the performance of GM crops, based on field and government data. They concluded that GM crops have “failed to yield”. “Failure to Yield” is another must read report, if one still carries such myths on food security as propagated by the industry.
And added to all these are the facts that GM crops have increased pesticide use (ironically the same 6 agri-business seed majors are also the pesticide majors and profit out of increasing the sales of both!), has unleashed an ecological disaster in all the countries where it is used, and worst made farmers literally slaves of their products – sometimes through making sure that the markets have only their seeds or actually contracting to ensure seed monopoly. They even have litigations against farmers when their gene is found, even accidentally in the crop – and in most cases these accidents were cases of contamination. Even in such cases, the farmer was at the receiving end. An issue of contaminating a variety and harming a farmer’s crop, was turned into one of the farmers appropriating a patented gene! A gene battle has been unleashed by these corporates against the farmers of the world.

Only sustainable approach can ensure food security
Now, what should be the way forward? Many states across the country, including Kerala, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Sikkim etc., have already instituted Organic farming policies for taking forward sustainable ways of producing food and ensuring food security. The Organic Farming movement in India is deep rooted, and has spread without any substantial support from the governments. If one were to look at how this has happened, we see that it has been progressive farmers’ response to diminishing crop productivity, infertile soils, pesticide contaminated food and deteriorating public health. Meanwhile, in states such as Andhra Pradesh, government efforts have also yielded good results in introducing Non-Pesticidal Management (NPM) in at least 35 lakh acres under the Community Managed Sustainable Agriculture (CMSA) project. A recent evaluation of this project has shown that it has reduced use of pesticides by 100%, fertilisers by 50%, reduced debts and even stopped farmer suicides in all the villages where it was adopted. These models have shown that a sustainable agriculture approach has a great potential in India, to ensure safe food production, even while ensuring productivity. It has also shown that neither GM crops nor pesticides are necessary for ensuring safe food, and food security in India.
This understanding is now recognised world over. The UN facilitated International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) has recommended that “there is the urgent need to move away from destructive and chemical-dependent industrial agriculture and to adopt environmental modern farming methods that champion biodiversity and benefit local communities.” They have also noted that “such techniques as genetic engineering are no solution for soaring food prices, hunger and poverty.”
Ironically, it is in this context that the Ministry of Science and Technology is going ahead with more GM crops and a new Bill to promote the same through a legal instrument. This will not only ensure a continuity of the toxic legacy of 40 years of intensive agriculture in India, but would make a much necessary adoption of organic and other sustainable agriculture literally impossible.
But for us the aam aadmi, it is time, we show more caution, and sensibility and demonstrate to the world that we have better, safer and time tested ways of producing food and we have a right to consume safe food and exercise our food choices. GM crops are not the answer to food security, nor any other agrarian concerns. In fact, we in India do not face any problem that can be solved with this rather unscientific, short-sighted and dangerous solution of GM crops.

The writer is the National Convener of the Coalition for a GM-Free India, a large platform of over 300 organisations across the country advocating towards a safe, secure food and agriculture system free of GM crops and other toxic materials. He is also currently Programme Director of Thanal, a public interest research, advocacy and campaign organisation, in Kerala. 

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