The controversy over Bt Brinjal

Bt Brinjal refers to a Genetically Modified crop(GM crop).This Bt brinjal will contain a gene artificially introduced into its genome.This gene is produced from a soil bacterium called'bacillus thuringienesis'(bt).Hence the name Bt Brinjal.Agri-Biotechnology Support Program(ABSP)is an USAID program under Private-Public Partnership.Mosanto India Ltd and Mahyco are two bio technology companies from Maharashtra involved in the development of Bt Brinjal.The Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (Varanasi), the University of Agricultural Sciences (Dharwad) andthe Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (Coimbatore)—are working with Monsanto and Mahyco in this project.Bt brinjal is under trial for the last 9 years.There is a regulatory authority called Genetic Engineering Approval Committee(GEAC).This committee's approval is required for commercial cultivation of any GM crop.Bt Brinjal was sent for approval in 2004 to GEAC.It was cleared by GEAC.But many NGO's and civil groups raised environmental concerns and expressed doubts over health safety.Then Supreme Court directed constitution of a sub committee to GEAC to review data on field trials.

Last Week GEAC has finally cleared Bt Brinjal for Commercial cultivation.Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has also cleared Bt Brinjal for commercial cultivation.Now approval from Agriculture,Health and Family welfare ministries are awaited before commercial cultivationof Bt Brinjal is started.This would be the first Commerical GM food crop in India,if cleared by the government.The only other GM crop commercially cultivated in India is a non food crop,Bt cotton.Thus India's entry in to Commercial Agricultural bio technology was first started with Bt cottonin 2002.Only 3 hybrids of Bt cotton were approved then.This was also a joint venture by Mosanto and Mahyco.(MMB).But by 2007 another 22 bio tech companies got sub licence from MMB to produce Bt cotton varieties.In the last 6 years Bt cotton cultivation has increased by 200 times in India.Cotton Corporation Of India claims cotton yield has increased owing to Bt cotton cultivation.They also claim Bt cotton is safe for human beings,animals,birds and environment.Countries like USA,Mexico,Australia and China introduced Bt cotton cultivation way back in 1996.At present about 9 countries including Argentina,SA,Columbia and Brazil have started cultivating Bt cotton.

Yet many NGO's are bitterly opposed to GM crops.'Navadanya' conducted a comparative study on Bt cotton crop fields and natural cotton crop fields.They compared Bt cotton fields cultivated for last 3 years with non GM cotton fields in Nagpur,Amraravati and Wardha.The study revealed vital soil enzymes which make nutrients available to plants have been drastically reduced in GM fields,though bacteria were reduced by 14 %.Navadanya has warned at this rate a decade of GM crop cultivation would lead to total destruction of soil organisms.This would leave the soil dead and would become unfit to produce food crops anymore.This corroborates to reports about decline in soil productivity after growing Bt cotton.

The impact of GM crops on soil organisms has not been looked into by many world bodies.The Delhi based Navadanya was the first to bring this to light.On this premise government should delay approval to Bt Brinjal and study this aspect in detail. Also another imporatant thing to be borne in mind is that no GM brinjal has been released for Advanced farm trials anywhere in the World.

Potential health hazards in bio engineered food is no secret.Animals fed with GM food have shown problems with growth,organ development,damaged organs and poor immune response.Bt Cotton farm workers have already complained about Itching skins,allergies,Swollen faces and eruptions on body.All these were related to various levels of exposure to Bt cotton.In Philipines people living close to Bt cotton crop fields have developed inscrutable symptoms.It is frightening to learn genes introduced in to GM food survive digestive process and get in to human body.Imagine a mutant gene entering a human genome. The consequences could be far reaching.It is believed Bt toxin can cause powerful immune responses.It is also said Bt crops have an aminoacid sequence similar to known allergens.In other words when one consumes GM food,unwittingly a potential allergen is introduced in to ones own body.Experts feel more studies are required to study the impact of Bt toxin on soil ecology.

The whole problem as seen by experts is that,pest management now relies on controling one or more genes in the crop.Thus by introducing a bacteria gene in to the crop,they might succeed in controlling the bacteria,but are oblivious to health and evnvironment hazards.

One hopes Government would be prudent enough to study all aspects encompassing biosafety,potential health hazards,environmental concerns etc before taking a decision on Bt Brinjal,even if it means a long delay.