- Recently the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) approved field trials of GM rice, mustard, cotton, chickpea and brinjal, a move that generated a lot of protests, farmers even destroyed many fields growing GMO crops.
- The Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) has sought the annulment of these approvals, questioned the very need of it and also stated concern for the country’s food and seed sovereignty.
- According to them, most of these transgenic processes are already patented and will introduce a monopoly in the market thereby profiting the multinational companies.
- This is the reason the corporations hype the importance of GMOs, and try to control the entire food chain, starting from production up to marketing – jeopardizing the lives of the farmers.
- The approval comes at a time when the Supreme Court verdict on the issue of field trials of GM crops based on the recommendation of the Court’s Technical Expert Committee (TEC) is set to be pronounced.
- The TEC had recommended a moratorium on open-air field trials due to its potential to contaminate the seed, food supply chain and the environment, and also due to the lack of a proper regulatory system.
- The BJP in its manifesto has promised to not permit GM foods without full scientific evaluation of their long-term effects on soil, production and biological impact on consumers and had condemned the open-air field trials while in opposition.
- Read at:http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/dont-allow-field-trials-of-gm-crops-farmers-activists/article6235522.ece