Report on Bt brinjal’s commercial use plagiarized

A charge of plagiarism has been leveled by an anti GM crop advocacy group against a high profile report from the six leading science academies of India which declared Bt brinjal as being safe.

The report prepared by the heads of some of the top Indian institutions has it seems lifted material almost verbatim from a biotechnology advocacy newsletter without proper acknowledgement.

Read the whole story: NDTV, India Today, Mint

Six top science bodies’ verdict: Bt brinjal safe

Six premier Indian science academies, given the task of evaluating Bt brinjal by Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh, have declared it safe, but their findings also say all genetically modified (GM) items pose a risk if the science behind them is flawed. The academies, as part of their mandate, have made key recommendations, including allowing the use of GM crops to meet growing food demands.

However, they said, India’s food security is “too critical an area” to be left entirely to the private sector. Therefore, public sector organisations should be the main facilitators of GM technologies.

The launch of Bt brinjal, India’s first GM food crop, was aborted in February after a safety debate broke out. While putting a moratorium on the genetically-engineered eggplant, the world’s first, Ramesh had said a decision to release it would have to be “responsible to both science and society”.

Ramesh had then appointed the academies to scrutinise Bt brinjal and give a rigorous opinion on GM crops.

K. Kasturirangan, Planning Commission member heading farm research, was asked to steer the project involving Bangalore-based Indian Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Medical Sciences, Indian National Academy of Engineering, Indian National Science Academy and National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, all New Delhi-based, and Allahabad-based National Academy of Sciences.

In GM crops, the genetic material (DNA) is altered to improve its qualities. Bt Brinjal, for instance, has been inserted with a bacterial protein so that it resists pests.

The academies, which have submitted their findings to the government, found no evidence that the protein used in creating Bt brinjal, Cry1Ac, is unsafe. “The same Bt protein present in another food crop has been consumed elsewhere in the world with no evidence of any scientifically established negative effect,” the report, reviewed by HT, states.

Some people can still be allergic to Bt brinjal, the findings say, just as some people develop allergies to common foods such as milk or nuts. So, no food can be declared 100 per cent safe for all from this viewpoint.

Read the whole story:  Hindustan Times

India says no to Bt brinjal, for now

Placing an indefinite moratorium on the commercial release of Bt Brinjal, which would otherwise have been the first genetically modified food crop in India, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh Tuesday said he took the "precautionary approach" as there was no clear consensus on the subject among Indian scientists.

"It is my duty to … impose a moratorium on the release of Bt Brinjal till such time that independent scientific studies establish satisfaction of both public and professionals, the safety of the product from the point of view of long-term impact on human health and environment," Ramesh said at a press conference here.

He pointed to the opposition to the genetically modified vegetable from 11 state governments, green activists and farmers during his public hearings over the issue at seven cities around the country.

"The decision is based on information that there is no clear consensus within the scientific community. The environmental scientists raised so many questions which were not satisfactorily answered," Ramesh said.

"There was also so much opposition from various states," he said, adding that the "negative public sentiments" could not be ignored since there is no "overriding urgency to clear Bt Brinjal".

Ramesh clarified that the moratorium in no way implied a "conditional acceptance" of Bt Brinjal.

"I would like to say that this approach (moratorium) is responsible to the scientific community and responsive to the society," he said.

The minister also clarified that the moratorium was to the version of Bt Brinjal being developed by Maharashtra-based firm Mahyco. Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, the University of Agriculture in Dharwad (Karnataka) and two laboratories of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research are also developing genetically modified versions of brinjal.

Asked about the possibility of spurious Bt Brinjal seeds making their way into the market, Ramesh said it was up to state governments to check this. "I hope we don't see a repeat of Bt Cotton where spurious and illegal Bt Cotton seeds found their way into the market," he said.

The decision on Bt Brinjal was originally scheduled to be announced Wednesday, but the environment minister advanced the declaration by a day. The issue has raised tempers around the country and in political circles. The agriculture and science and technology ministries had supported the commercial release of Bt Brinjal after the government's Genetic Engineering Approval Committee had cleared it last October. It was up to the environment ministry to decide on the matter.

Ramesh said his decision followed consultation with senior scientists including M.S. Swaminathan, the father of India's Green Revolution. "I have spoken to a large number of scientists, but in this case science is inadequate," he said.

India is the world's largest brinjal producer. West Bengal produces more than any other state, and the Left Front government there was one of the 11 that had declared it would not allow commercial release of Bt Brinjal.

Read the whole story: The Economic Times

Don’t hasten introduction of Bt brinjal: M.S. Swaminathan

The government should not be in hurry to introduce Bt brinjal until fundamental issues were addressed, agriculture scientist M.S. Swaminathan said here on Saturday.

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a consultation on “Effective community management of biodiversity in an era of climate change,” Dr. Swaminathan said: “Every technology has its benefits and risks. But it all depends on our capacity to analyse risks and benefits. We must analyse whether risks are more or benefits are more. There should be an authority to analyse the risks and benefits in a transparent way. Unfortunately, we don’t have an authority like that.”

He added: “In my report in 2004, I had recommended an autonomous statutory body such as a bio-technology regulatory authority which is to be led by eminent professionals and has its own facilities for testing — not only going by the company or by the breeder.”

The authority should have its own facilities to analyse long-term chronic effects and all bio-safety aspects, and the sooner the country had, the better, Dr. Swaminathan said.

The Union government had till date not accepted the report, he added.

“Brinjal is consumed throughout one’s life. It’s a vegetable of very widespread consumption. Therefore what will be the chronic effect? Brinjal, there is so much of variability in the country. Will that variability and the biodiversity be destroyed by growing one or two varieties of brinjal in the place of numerous [varieties]? What happens if the resistance breaks down? We would have then lost our bio-diversity. Are steps being taken?” Dr. Swaminathan said.

He added that genetically modified crops should not be introduced in the biological and agricultural hotspots of the country.

Read the whole story: The Hindu

Bt Brinjal developed in compliance with global norms: Ramesh

Photo credit: Gene Campaign

The genetically modified Bt Brinjal has been developed in compliance with global norms and experts evaluating it have found no danger in it, the Lok Sabha was informed by Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh.

Therefore, its introduction is not likely to destroy the country's diversity, Environment Minister said in a written reply.

Read the whole story: PTI, PIB