Bt Brinjal is no solution

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Identify problems for climate funding, India urged

: Bt cotton.

Plant breeders acknowledge that hybrids have a higher yield depending on the agricultural inputs provided and often the success of the hybrid variety is usurped by Bt cotton.

Studies have shown that Bt does not perform well in rain-fed conditions. Vidharba, a rain-fed region is a case in point. High input costs and low yields coupled with uncertain markets drove farmers in various parts of the Vidharba to an unending debt cycle. There is a clear and direct link between high input costs, which comes with Bt cotton and resultant socio-economic impacts. When extended to include food crops, the viability of growing these crops, yield-wise, economy-wise and food-security wise needs to be questioned.

Notwithstanding these facts, nowhere in the history of GM crops have studies by independent scientists proven that GM is safe for consumption. Different studies on lab mice have consistently indicated possible ill-effects of GM organisms (GMOs) on health. Without independent reports on various effects of GM crops, including long-term studies and chronic toxicity studies, GM crops can not be considered to be safe.

What’s the need?

The report from International Assessment for Agricultural Science and Technology for Development, initiated by the World Bank and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, and conducted by 400 scientists over a period of three years, acknowledges that GM crops will not play a substantial role in addressing the key problems of climate change, biodiversity loss, hunger and poverty. “The future of farming lies in a biodiversity and labour-intensive agriculture that works with nature and the people, not against them.”This report has been endorsed by our government.

The land under GM crops is less than 2.5% of the total arable land in the world. Only four countries lead the world in GM crops and account for more than 95% of the acreage. All the acreage of GM crops only account for pest resistant crops like Bt cotton or herbicide tolerant crops. In the last 20 years there has been no GM crop which has increased yield because of genetic manipulation.