Bt Brinjal

In News

• A month ago, Bt brinjal to resist the brinjal fruit and shoot borer (an insect), was found growing illegally in Haryana.
• This was a different Bt brinjal from the one developed by the Indian company, Mahyco, in which Monsanto has a 26% stake.

What are Genetically Modified (GM) crops?

• GM is a technology that involves inserting DNA into the genome of an organism.
• To produce a GM plant, new DNA is transferred into plant cells. Usually, the cells are then grown in tissue culture where they develop into plants. The seeds produced by these plants will inherit the new DNA.
• One of the methods used to transfer DNA is to coat the surface of small metal particles with the relevant DNA fragment, and bombard the particles into the plant cells.
• Another method is to use a bacterium or virus. The viruses and bacteria transfer their DNA into a host cell as a normal part of their life cycle. For GM plants, the bacterium most frequently used is called Agrobacterium tumefaciens. The gene of interest is transferred into the bacterium and the bacterial cells then transfer the new DNA to the genome of the plant cells.

Pros of GM crops

• Higher crop yields.
• Reduced farm costs.
• Increased farm profit.
• Improvement in health and the environment.

Cons of GM Corps

• It is clear that the technology of genetic engineering is an evolving one and there is much, especially on its impact on human health and environment that is yet to be understood properly. The scientific community itself seems uncertain about this.
• While there are many in this community who feel that the benefits outweigh the risks, others point to the irreversibility of this technology and uncontrollability of the Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) once introduced in the ecosystem. Hence, they advocate a precautionary approach towards any open release of GMOs.
• One of the concerns raised strongly by those opposing GM crops in India is that many important crops like rice, brinjal, and mustard, among others, originated here, and introducing genetically modified versions of these crops could be a major threat to the vast number of domestic and wild varieties of these crops.
• In fact, globally, there is a clear view that GM crops must not be introduced in centres of origin and diversity. India also has mega biodiversity hotspots like the Eastern Himalayas and the Western Ghats which are rich in biodiversity yet ecologically very sensitive.
• There is also a potential for pests to evolve resistance to the toxins produced by GM crops and the risk of these toxins affecting nontarget organisms.
• There is also the danger of unintentionally introducing allergens and other anti-nutrition factors in foods.

Labeling GM crops

• Most GM foods in the study did not disclose GM on their labels and 15% made false claims saying they were GM-free.
• Retailing being largely an unorganized sector, enforcing truthful labeling is not pragmatic.
• Two of the eight infant food samples, imported from the US and the Netherlands, were GM positive, but the labels did not disclose this.
• Under Section 22 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, GM foods are not allowed to be manufactured, imported or sold in India unless approved under the Act.

What is Bt Brinjal?

• Bt Brinjal is a GM crop created by inserting Cry1Ac gene from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis into Brinjal.
• The insertion of the gene gives Brinjal plant resistance against lepidopteron insects like the Brinjal Fruit and Shoot Borer (Leucinodes orbonalis) and Fruit Borer (Helicoverpa armigera).
• Upon ingestion of the Bt toxin by the insect, there would be disruption of digestive processes, ultimately resulting in the death of the insect.
• This was to bring down the economic cost of brinjal production in the country. As per studies, the Shoot Borer and Fruit Borer cause up to 20% damage in the crops. The introduction of Bt Brinjal would add to annual production and it would be good for farm economy in the country.

Why Bt Brinjal was banned?

• Despite of the claims of the Mahyco (Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Co) company that it has done all Biosafety tests, there were concerns over potential health hazards and problem of terminator seed in Brinjal, which would compel farmers to by seeds from Monsanto.
• The matter reached to Supreme Court and an expert committee, appointed by Supreme Court recommended a 10-year moratorium on field trials of all genetically modified (GM) food crops and a complete ban on field trials of transgenics in crops which originate in India.
• The result was that the government imposed a moratorium on field trials of Bt Brinjal in 2010.

Issues with BT Brinjal

I] Institutional dilemma

• The Ministry of Agriculture has not offered evidence that Bt brinjal will benefit farmers.
• If Bt brinjal performs as Mahyco proposes, brinjal output will increase and retail prices will fall, benefiting consumers far more than farmers.
• Companies might charge premium prices for Bt brinjal seeds, in which case farmers may not benefit at all.

II] Biosafety issues

• On biosafety issues, scientific opinion is divided down the middle. Brinjal happens to be such a crop.
• While some scientists were in favour of releasing Bt brinjal, others highlighted crucial deficiencies in the characterization of Bt brinjal, and in the environmental impacts assessment.
• Few ecologists warned of contamination of India’s diverse brinjal varieties.
• Biodiversity is critical for nutrition and sustainability, and the government’s own task force on biotechnology (2004) had recommended that no GM crop be allowed in biodiversity-rich areas.
• Further, a majority of the technical expert committee appointed by the Supreme Court recommended a ban on genetically modifying those crops for which India is a centre of origin or diversity.
• The Dr. Y.S.R. Horticultural University highlighted crucial deficiencies in the characterisation of Bt brinjal, and in the environmental impact assessment.
• The ecologist, Madhav Gadgil, warned of contamination of India’s diverse brinjal varieties.

III] Nutrition issues

• In terms of nutrition, there seem to be some significant differences between Bt and ordinary brinjal.
• Many health researchers have argued that Bt brinjal poses risks to human health.
• S. Swaminathan and V.M. Katoch, then the Director General of the ICMR, asked for long-term (chronic) toxicity studies, before taking any decision on Bt brinjal.
• Further, they asked that these be conducted independently, instead of relying exclusively on Mahyco for data.

IV] No scientific consensus

• In recent years, pests have developed resistance to Bt cotton, forcing farmers to spray lethal pesticides.
• This led to over 50 deaths by pesticide-poisoning in Vidarbha in 2017.
• A GM-based strategy of pest control is unsustainable, all the more so since farmers, already pressed for land, ignore the government’s recommendation to plant refuge crops.
• The problem of sustainable, remunerative farming has become more acute, and alternative strategies such as organic and zero budget natural farming, which do not allow GM seeds, are gaining ground.

In the debate

• Bt brinjal found no support from State governments. Kerala and Uttarakhand asked for a ban on GM crops.
• States with substantial brinjal cultivation, i.e. West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar opposed the release pending rigorous, extensive testing.
• In 2012 and 2017, respectively, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture and the Committee on Science & Technology, Environment and Forests assessed the GM controversy.
• Both committees expressed grave concerns about lapses in the regulatory system.
• In fact, the Committee on Agriculture was so alarmed by the irregularities in the assessment of Bt brinjal, that it recommended “a thorough probe by a team of eminent independent scientists and environmentalists”, which never happened.
• Further, both committees endorsed labelling GM foods to protect a consumer’s right to know.
• However, since retailing is largely unorganised, enforcing truthful labelling is a logistical nightmare, and the Ministry of Agriculture believes it is impractical.
• The FSSAI has only recently begun putting labelling rules into place.

No scientific consensus yet

• In sum, there is a moratorium on Bt brinjal because there is no scientific consensus on its safety and efficacy, and because the States and Parliament have profound misgivings about the regulatory system.
• In recent years, pests have developed resistance to Bt cotton, forcing farmers to spray lethal pesticides.
• This led to over 50 deaths by pesticide-poisoning in Yavatmal in 2017.
• If anything, the problem of sustainable, remunerative farming has become more acute, and alternative strategies such as organic and zero budget natural farming, which do not allow GM seeds, are gaining ground.

Way Forward

• Environmental Impact Assessment: must be carried out by independent environmentalist, as farmers do not and cannot assess the long-term impact of GM crops on ecology and health.
• Unchecked import of GM products should be stopped.
• In order to curb the illegal cultivation of Bt brinjal, the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) must:
• Collaborate with state governments and launch a nation-wide investigation drive.
• Take action on threats of deliberate Bt brinjal and Bt cotton cultivation.
• Investigate and prosecute those involved in the illegal supply of Bt brinjal seeds.
• Organic farming should be encouraged.
• The government should go for commercialization of Bt brinjal only after the core and deep research on the long term prospects and benefits of commercialization of Bt crops in India. In that context, India can learn from Bangladesh’s example where farmers have been growing the Bt Brinjal since 2013.

The government

• Must detail the steps it has taken since 2010 to address the scientific lacunae.
• Clarify precisely how Bt brinjal will benefit farmers
• Put the infrastructure to ensure labelling into place
• Demonstrate how Bt brinjal fits in with sustainable farming and biodiversity conservation.

Conclusion

As things stand, Bt brinjal runs counter to the framework for agricultural development and farmers’ well-being devised by parliamentary panels and the government’s own task forces and expert committees.

 

India and SCO

News

• PK Modi departed for the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek to attend a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)

• After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the then security and economic architecture in the Eurasian region dissolved and new structures had to come up.
• The original Shanghai Five were China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.
• The SCO was formed in 2001, with Uzbekistan included. It expanded in 2017 to include India and Pakistan.
• Since its formation, the SCO has focused on regional non-traditional security, with counter-terrorism as a priority:
• The fight against the “three evils” of terrorism, separatism and extremism has become its mantra.
• Today, areas of cooperation include themes such as economics and culture.

India’s entry to the SCO

• India and Pakistan both were observer countries.
• While Central Asian countries and China were not in favour of expansion initially, the main supporter — of India’s entry in particular — was Russia.
• A widely held view is that Russia’s growing unease about an increasingly powerful China prompted it to push for its expansion.
• From 2009 onwards, Russia officially supported India’s ambition to join the SCO. China then asked for its all-weather friend Pakistan’s entry.

How does membership of the SCO help India?

[I] Counter-terrorism

• These sit well with the SCO’s main objective of working cooperatively against the “three evils”.
• India wants access to intelligence and information from SCO’s counter-terrorism body, the Tashkent-based Regional Anti Terror Structure (RATS).
• A stable Afghanistan too is in India’s interest, and RATS provides access to non-Pakistan-centred counter-terrorism information there.

[II] Connectivity

• Connectivity is important for India’s Connect Central Asia policy. Energy cooperation dominates its interest – and it’s in China’s neighbourhood.
• But India will also have to deal with an assertive China, which will push its Belt and Road Initiative during the summit.
• SCO membership also bolsters India’s status as a major pan-Asian player, which is boxed in the South Asian paradigm.

Geopolitics and play out for India

• The US’ power struggle with China, exit from the Iran nuclear deal JCPOA which affected India’s oil imports from Iran and adversarial attitude towards Russia which delayed India’s defence purchase like S-400.
• While US’s stance against Islamabad after the Pulwama attack was evidence of its support to New Delhi, India has had a strained relationship with China after the Doklam stand-off, followed by attempts to reset relations in Wuhan.

A cause of worry for US

• In the SCO, India’s sitting down with less-than-free regimes, Russia and China has always had the West worried.
• India, however, has always been tactful in not aligning with these countries on governance issues.

How does it play out in the India-Pakistan or India-China relationship?

• In the absence of the SAARC summit, the SCO summit gives an opportunity for Indian and Pakistani leaders to meet informally, on the sidelines.
• Both sides have the obligation not to bring in bilateral disputes, but can cooperate on issues of mutual interest and importance.
• Signing off on joint counter-terrorism exercises will be a new form of engagement between the two militaries.
• With China, it is yet another opening, like the BRICS summit last year, to bring down tensions, and ahead of the next informal summit in October in India.

Divergences in Central Asian and Indian Interests

• Russia and Central Asian countries are likely to express “broad support” for China in the wake of trade war against U.S. India is equally concerned about this trade war, but is in a dilemma in view of openly slamming U.S. protectionism.
• It is also notable that all SCO members, barring India, are enthusiastic supporters of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
• Also, the other agenda of the summit would be to sell the Gwadar Port and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as a potential passage to landlocked Central Asian states. But CPEC passes through territory over which India claims its sovereignty.
• Terrorism is likely to be approached from the angle of improving the situation in Afghanistan and not necessarily of curbing the terrorist elements emanating from Pakistan.

Key outcomes of the Bishkek Declaration?

• The Bishkek Declaration was finalised in the summit.
• Member countries signed 14 decisions at the summit, including cooperation in sports, healthcare and environment.
• The anti-narcotic strategy and the programme of action was amongst one of the documents signed.
• Discussions regarding terrorism, regional cooperation, Afghanistan, and economic issues were carried out during the summit.
• SCO urged the global community to work towards a consensus on adopting the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT).
• It also emphasised the need to launch multilateral talks, at the Conference on Disarmament, on an international convention to combat acts of chemical and biological terrorism.
• SCO called for the international community’s joint efforts to counter attempts to involve young people in terrorism, separatism and extremist activities.
• The members committed to counter the use of information and communications technology to undermine political, economic and public security in the SCO countries.
• Opportunities for economic cooperation had a special focus, and SCO countries committed to strengthening economic cooperation.
• Countries also committed to supporting the World Trade Organisation structure.
• Also, building more people-to-people ties, tourism and cultural bonds within the grouping was stressed upon.
• On the sidelines of the summit, some cooperation agreements between SCO and UN-specialised agencies were also signed.
• Afghanistan – On Afghanistan, the Bishkek declaration stressed on an inclusive peace process led by “Afghans themselves”.
• India reiterated its long-held stand towards the peace process in Afghanistan.
• It held the view that Afghanistan should be led, owned, and controlled by Kabul.
• Indian PM Modi also touched upon the topics of connectivity, especially the north-south corridor, Chabahar port and renewable energy.
• He also introduced the acronym HEALTH (during the SCO session) which denotes –
  1. Healthcare Cooperation
  2. Economic Cooperation
  3. Alternate Energy
  4. Literature and Culture
  5. Terrorism-free society
  6. Humanitarian Cooperation
• India-Pakistan – Prime Minister Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan failed to hold substantive talks at the summit.
• Nevertheless, the occasion provided a setting for them to exchange what India called the “usual pleasantries” at the least.
• Beyond the summit, the two countries are committed to engaging at several other levels, including the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure.
• Pakistan leads the effort to coordinate between the SCO and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.
• Besides these, India opposed to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
• The summit declaration has mentioned only the other countries in a paragraph praising the project.
• On the sidelines of the summit, Mr. Modi held bilateral meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Way Forward

• What draws India to SCO is the “Shanghai spirit”, which emphasises harmony, non-interference in others’ internal affairs, and non-alignment.
• The bottom-line is that it helps India keep all options open in terms of international partnerships.
• n this situation, India will have to clearly identify and promote its interests to enhance its presence in the Eurasian region for this accelerating progress on the International North-South Transport Corridor, the Chabahar Port, the Ashgabat Agreement and the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway should be very much on the cards.