creators_name: Das, Kasturi type: web datestamp: 2004-12-20 lastmod: 2009-08-20 14:25:01 metadata_visibility: show title: GM Crops in India: Why Open Pandora’s Box? ispublished: pub subjects: 2security subjects: 3assessment subjects: countries-india full_text_status: public keywords: gm crops, india, Swaminathan Task Force abstract: In the backdrop of ever increasing resistance against GE in different parts of the globe, the UPA government is planning afresh to give transgenic crops a big push. A panel has been set up to formulate a National Biotechnology Policy by January 2005 so as to ensure a speedy approval of GM crops. The panel is likely to gather key inputs from the ‘Report of the Task Force on Application of Biotechnology in Agriculture’ headed by Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, who is again a member of the new panel. In this context the article reveals certain glaring flaws and contradictions inherent in the Task Force Report, that need to be taken into account before actually accepting its recommendations while formulating the proposed Biotechnology Policy. It analyses why promotion of GM crops is not compatible with economic wellbeing and livelihood security of farmers, health security of consumers, protection of environment, external trade and so on. Hence it calls for a moratorium on GM crops in India until conclusive scientific evidences are found regarding their short and long term implications. Finally it argues that the solution for the ongoing crisis in Indian agriculture lies in organic agriculture and not in genetic engineering, which is likely to worsen the situation. date: 2004-11 date_type: published publication: www.gmwatch.org publisher: www.gmwatch.org refereed: never referencetext: References [i] Available at, http://agricoop.nic.in/TaskForce/tf.htm. [ii] English Nature (1998), ‘Government Wildlife Advisor Urges Caution on Genetically Modified Organisms - The New Agriculture Revolution’, Press Release, 8th July. [iii] Andrew Pollack (2004), ‘Genes From Engineered Grass Spread for Miles, Study Finds’, New York Times, September 21. [iv] Soil Association (2002), ‘Seeds of Doubt: North American farmers’ experiences of GM crops’. [v] IFOAM (2002), ‘Genetic Engineering Versus Organic Farming: The Fact and the Fiction’. [vi] Lu Baorong, Song Zhiping and Chen Jiakuan. (2003), ‘Can Transgenic Rice Cause Ecological Risks Through Transgene Escape?’, Progress in Natural Science, Vol-13 (1), p. 22. [vii] www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=4635. [viii] The Economic Times (2004), ‘Govt to give GM crops a big push’, September 2. [ix] Independent Science Panel (2003), ‘The Case for a GM-Free Sustainable World’, published by Institute of Science in Society, London and Third World Network, Malaysia. [x] http://athens-olympics-2004.newkerala.com/?action=fullnews&id=41109. [xi] www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=4557. [xii] The Hindu, October 16, 2004, ‘Monsanto Bt- Cotton Fails in Warangal’. [xiii] The Hindu, November 11, 2004, ‘Farmers Release Monsanto Official, 8 Others’. [xiv] Suman Sahai and Shakeelur Rehman (2004), ‘Bt--Cotton Performance 2003-2004: Fields Swamped with Illegal Variants’, found in www.genecampaign.org . [xv] Asha Krishnakumar (2004), ‘Losing Resistance’, Frontline, Volume 21, Issue 10, May 8 – 21. [xvi] Kaushik Ranjan Bandyopadhyay (2003), ‘The Right to Adequate Food’, The Hindu, February 10. [xvii] FAO (2000), ‘Agriculture: Towards 2015/30’, FAO Global Perspectives Studies Unit. [xviii] ActionAid (2003), ‘GM Crops - Going Against the Grain’,www.actionaid.org/resources/pdfs/gatg.pdf. [xix]www.greenpeace.org/india_en/multimedia/download/1/600685/0/GE_Food_NOT_Safe_to_Eat.pdf. [xx] For more information, see, Kasturi Das (2004, March); ‘Organic: To Combat Pesticide Residues’, available at www.indiatogether.org/2004/mar/agr-organic.htm. [xxi] See Kasturi Das (2004, August), ‘A Revolution Long Turned Brown’, available atwww.indiatogether.org/2004/aug/agr-morechem.htm. [xxii] See www.ddsindia.com. [xxiii] For details of support needed for promotion of organic agriculture in India, see Kasturi Das (2004, June), ‘Transitioning to Organic’, available at www.indiatogether.org/2004/jun/agr-transorg.htm. References [i] Available at, http://agricoop.nic.in/TaskForce/tf.htm. [ii] English Nature (1998), ‘Government Wildlife Advisor Urges Caution on Genetically Modified Organisms - The New Agriculture Revolution’, Press Release, 8th July. [iii] Andrew Pollack (2004), ‘Genes From Engineered Grass Spread for Miles, Study Finds’, New York Times, September 21. [iv] Soil Association (2002), ‘Seeds of Doubt: North American farmers’ experiences of GM crops’. [v] IFOAM (2002), ‘Genetic Engineering Versus Organic Farming: The Fact and the Fiction’. [vi] Lu Baorong, Song Zhiping and Chen Jiakuan. (2003), ‘Can Transgenic Rice Cause Ecological Risks Through Transgene Escape?’, Progress in Natural Science, Vol-13 (1), p. 22. [vii] www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=4635. [viii] The Economic Times (2004), ‘Govt to give GM crops a big push’, September 2. [ix] Independent Science Panel (2003), ‘The Case for a GM-Free Sustainable World’, published by Institute of Science in Society, London and Third World Network, Malaysia. [x] http://athens-olympics-2004.newkerala.com/?action=fullnews&id=41109. [xi] www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=4557. [xii] The Hindu, October 16, 2004, ‘Monsanto Bt- Cotton Fails in Warangal’. [xiii] The Hindu, November 11, 2004, ‘Farmers Release Monsanto Official, 8 Others’. [xiv] Suman Sahai and Shakeelur Rehman (2004), ‘Bt--Cotton Performance 2003-2004: Fields Swamped with Illegal Variants’, found in www.genecampaign.org . [xv] Asha Krishnakumar (2004), ‘Losing Resistance’, Frontline, Volume 21, Issue 10, May 8 – 21. [xvi] Kaushik Ranjan Bandyopadhyay (2003), ‘The Right to Adequate Food’, The Hindu, February 10. [xvii] FAO (2000), ‘Agriculture: Towards 2015/30’, FAO Global Perspectives Studies Unit. [xviii] ActionAid (2003), ‘GM Crops - Going Against the Grain’,www.actionaid.org/resources/pdfs/gatg.pdf. [xix]www.greenpeace.org/india_en/multimedia/download/1/600685/0/GE_Food_NOT_Safe_to_Eat.pdf. [xx] For more information, see, Kasturi Das (2004, March); ‘Organic: To Combat Pesticide Residues’, available at www.indiatogether.org/2004/mar/agr-organic.htm. [xxi] See Kasturi Das (2004, August), ‘A Revolution Long Turned Brown’, available atwww.indiatogether.org/2004/aug/agr-morechem.htm. [xxii] See www.ddsindia.com. [xxiii] For details of support needed for promotion of organic agriculture in India, see Kasturi Das (2004, June), ‘Transitioning to Organic’, available at www.indiatogether.org/2004/jun/agr-transorg.htm. citation: Das, Kasturi (2004) GM Crops in India: Why Open Pandora’s Box? www.gmwatch.org. Online at >, November 2004. www.GMWatch.org. document_url: http://orgprints.org/4107/1/GM_Crops_in_India-Published.doc