GM CROP REVOLUTION

1.Context

 Some activists approached the Supreme Court to ban GM crop  for various reasons. The Supreme Court has ordered the status quo to be maintained till the next hearing on the matter on November 17

2.GM crops scenario Across the Globe

 GM crops have spread around the world since 1996. By 2019, roughly 190 million hectares were under GM crops, led by corn and soyabean in the US, Brazil, Argentina, and canola (rapeseed/mustard) in Canada, with no harmful impact on human or animal health or the environment per se. Even Bangladesh has marched ahead with Bt brinjal. More than 70 countries have accepted the use of GM crops

3. History of BT crops in India

 The First GM crop, Bt cotton, was released in 2002 by the Vajpayee government. He extended the original slogan of “Jai jawan, Jai Kisan” (salutation to the soldier and the farmer), given by Lal Bahadur Shastri, to include “Jai Vigyan” (salutation to science)

4. BT cotton

• Cotton production increased remarkably from a mere 13.6 million bales (1 bale = 170 kg) in 2002-03 to 39.8 million bales in 2013-14, registering an increase of 192 per cent in just 12 years, ushering the famous "gene revolution".
• Cotton productivity increased from 302 kg per hectare in 2002-03 to 566 kg per hectare in 2013-14, an increase of 76 per cent, while the area under cotton cultivation expanded by 56 per cent, of which about 95 per cent is under Bt cotton.
•  But more important are the gains to cotton farmers whose incomes increased significantly. It won't be an exaggeration to say that Bt cotton led Gujarat's "agrarian miracle" of a very high (above 8 per cent) annual growth rate in agri-GDP during 2002-03 to 2013-14.
•  It made India the second-largest producer after China, and the second-largest exporter after the US, of cotton in the world today.

5. The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) -

1. It functions under the Ministry of Environment, Forest And Climate Change, and the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) is the country’s biotech regulator.
2.  As per Rules, 1989, it is responsible for the appraisal of activities involving large-scale use of hazardous microorganisms and recombinants in research and industrial production from the environmental angle.
3. The committee is also responsible for the appraisal of proposals relating to the release of genetically engineered (GE) organisms and products into the environment including experimental field trials.

6.Debate over BT

Several concerns have been expressed by NGOs, civil society groups, and farmers' groups from time to time to emphasize the risks associated with GM crops. Some of these include —, enhanced sucking pest damage in Bt cotton; an increase in secondary pests such as mired bugs and Spodoptera; exposure to a greater risk of monopoly in the seed business.

6.1..Bio-safety of human and animal health

1. Risk of toxicity, due to the nature of the product or the changes in the metabolism and the composition of the organisms resulting from gene transfer.
2. Newer proteins in transgenic crops from organisms, which have not been consumed as foods, sometimes have the risk of these proteins becoming allergens.
3. Genes used for antibiotic resistance as selectable markers have also raised concerns regarding the transfer of such genes to microorganisms and thereby aggravate the health problems due to antibiotic resistance in the disease-causing organisms.

6.2..Ecological concerns

1. Gene flow due to cross-pollination for the traits involving resistance can result in the development of tolerant or resistant weeds that are difficult to eradicate.
2. GM crops could lead to the erosion of biodiversity and pollute gene pools of endangered plant species.
3. Genetic erosion has occurred as the farmers have replaces the use of traditional varieties with monocultures.

6.3.Environmental concerns

1. Effect of transgenic plants on population dynamics of target and non-target pests, secondary pest problems, insect sensitivity, the evolution of new insect biotypes, environmental influence on gene expression, development of resistance in the insect population, development of resistance to the herbicide
2. Gene escapes into the environment- accidental cross-breeding GMP plants and traditional varieties through pollen transfer can contaminate the traditional local varieties with GMO genes resulting in the loss of traditional varieties of the farmers.