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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Scan on need for GM food

Scan on need for GM food

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published Published on Mar 1, 2010   modified Modified on Mar 1, 2010

Environmental groups have questioned assertions by sections of scientists and the biotechnology industry that genetically-modified (GM) food crops could play a crucial role in ensuring food security.

More than 180 GM plants have so far been field tested in several countries, but few have progressed to the stage where commercial seed is available to farmers, the non-government environmental network called Friends of the Earth (FoE) has said.

“GM crops are also not feeding the world. They remain confined to about 2.6 per cent of agricultural land worldwide, and 99 per cent are grown for animal feed and fuels rather than for food crops,” the body said in a report released this month.

Crop biotechnology proponents have described genetic engineering as a key tool to alleviate hunger through the development of plants with new traits such as drought-resistance and salt-tolerance.

India’s agricultural minister Sharad Pawar had last week cautioned that India would not be able to combat food security challenges in the coming decades without the use of crop biotechnology.

The Prime Minister’s Office earlier this week, while endorsing the moratorium imposed on GM brinjal by environment minister Jairam Ramesh, had also said that biotechnology was important for increase crop productivity.

But the FoE report points out that after years of research, only two GM traits — herbicide tolerance and insect resistance — have been successfully planted on a commercial scale.

The FoE has claimed that most GM crops are not grown to produce food for people, but to provide animal feed, agrofuels, and cotton.Somewhere between 60 per cent and 90 per cent of GM soya harvest is used to produce high protein soya meal for animal feed and vegetable oil. Some oil is used for cooking, but in Argentina, Brazil, and the US, significant amounts are converted to bio-diesel, its report said.

The industry suggests that 99 per cent of GM crops planted commercially are either soya, cotton, maize or canola. “In contrast, there are no commercial GM varieties of wheat, barley, rice, oats, potatoes, sorghum, or pulses,” the FoE said.

“Some of the research on GM crops in India appears to be going on without real need assessment,” said G.V. Ramanjaneyulu, an agricultural scientist and executive director of the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture, who has been campaigning against GM crops.

He cited the example of a public laboratory in Hyderabad working on drought-resistant sorghum. “Sorghum is one of the most resilient of crops in droughts. It’s unclear why they’re pursuing drought-resistant sorghum,” Ramanjaneyulu said.

The FoE report said commercial production of GM fruits and vegetables is confined to only a few locations — GM papaya in Hawaii and China, and GM tomatoes and sweet pepper in China.


The Telegraph, 28 February, 2010, http://telegraphindia.com/1100228/jsp/frontpage/story_12161406.jsp
 

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