GM crops still continue to be food for thought

It is hard to comprehend the myriad arguments that surround genetically modified (GM) food and its cultivation. Various theories abound about GM’s benefits in the area of tackling food security, at a time when many countries in Africa and Asia are battling the evils of malnourishment. On the other hand, the anti-GM block states that the classical and time-honoured practices of agriculture must be seasoned to suit present times, which will also help the farming communities.

Deccan Herald recently met an international expert on biotechnology, David Green, who was visiting India on invitation from the government, to conduct workshops and talks on the perception and safety of GM crops. While confessing that he wasn’t an advocate of GM cultivation, however, Green said, “GM is one of the best ways for the cultivation of food produce. One of the many advantages of using genetic modification is that it allows easier production of plants, besides making production cost-effective. It’s also scale-neutral, which means there is no need to use huge tracts of land for its use.”

Genetically modified crops are created when foreign genes are introduced into a plant. Genetic engineering or genetic modification directly manipulates an organism’s genome, changing the genetic makeup of cells, including the transfer of genes within and across species boundaries to produce improved or novel organisms. When new genes are introduced into a plant, they change the plant’s characteristics, and as theorists claim, will improve its effectiveness.

Today, several crops such as cotton, brinjal, rice, maize, and soya are being grown through GM techniques around the world. According to findings by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), a record 181.5 million hectares of biotech crops were grown globally in 2014, at an annual growth rate of three per cent, up five million from 170 million hectares in 2012. The only GM crop cultivated in India is Bt Cotton (Bt stands for Bacillus thuringiensis — a bacterium), which has been in existense since 2002.  Other GM crops such as brinjal, mustard, rice, maize, and chickpea are being considered.

Arguments against GM crops

There is a section of people that have strongly opposed the meddling with nature, as in the case of GM crops. D C Chowta, a progressive cultivator of paddy, arecanut, pepper and fruits from Kasargod in Kerala, opined, “In terms of GM crops, it is difficult to ascertain what one is doing to the plant. Even the molecular geneticists don’t know how it would fully work, let alone farmers.” Chowta, who holds workshops for farmers in the coastal region of Karnataka, reflected that while introducing a foreign genome into a crop, it is often derived from a microbe, and gets into the natural genetic make-up of the crop. “The scientist would’ve introduced the gene with some intention, such as to fight disease, achieve greater yield, or could be to improve quality or nutrition. But, it could result in something else, some side effects,” he said.

One of the modes of genetically modified techniques involves shielding against herbicides being sprayed on weeds. Earlier, plants would die when farmers sprayed chemical herbicides around them for weed control, after being exposed. When scientists developed plant/crop breeds, which were genetically modified, they could protect themselves against the exposure to herbicide, resulting in more yield. Green claimed, “Genetic engineering sounds scary, but isn’t. In the last 20 years, there have been no record of people taking ill after consuming GM produce.”

Explaining the premise of GM dialogue around the world, Green said, “When it was first introduced in Europe, people didn’t know what GM was, and were apprehensive that they were eating ‘genetically engineered’ food. Even when you look at the US, when GM was first introduced in 1996, farmers were cautious. They wanted to know more — if it would harm their crops, the soil. They began cultivating it over a small area. Overtime, they got a better crop and were convinced.” 

GM, not a magic wand

While the pundits of GM state that the process in question would help the country in getting all-round better yield, Chowta said there is no shortcut in this regard. “Agriculture is part of evolution, and plant breeding is never exact. Be it food crops, cash crops, fruits or vegetables, farmers must have patience. There is no trial-and-error here,” Chowta said. He also felt that GM cultivation would cause social issues. “For instance, I’m growing GM crops, and my neighbour is not interested. During cultivation, there is every chance that pollen from my field, will travel, and pollinate his crop, resulting in different kinds of crop yields. In a way, we are interfering with a system that has naturally evolved,” he said. Green said that while GM is not a magic wand to fight food safety, it could still be one of the ways to work towards food security.

Meanwhile, many NGOs have also spoken about the ‘ill-effects’ of GM crops, to which Green rebutted, “If they (NGOs) are concerned about food security, then they must be a part of the solution to educate people, instead of scaring them.” Chowta firmly said that he supports the alternative classical plant breeding techniques of hybridisation, which though time and space consuming, was safe for people and the environment. “By giving farmers  GM crops, they will ultimately end up depending on companies for seeds, and other requirements,” he said. According to him,  when it comes to farming, there are many other important issues to ponder about. “Small farmers in possession of two-five acres of land are feeding the entire world. It is they who must be helped. All technologies and best farming practices must be inculcated in them lest they remain backward,” Chowta added.

Top 10 countries(Area of Biotech crop)

Country    Million Hectares

USA    73.1
Brazil    42.2
Argentina    24.3
India    11.6
Canada    11.6
China    3.9
Paraguay    3.9
Pakistan    2.9
South Africa    2.7
Uruguay    1.6

World Total  181.5

Source: ISAAA Report, 2014, on Global area of Biotech Crops