BT Brinjal GM crop is a necessary evil
BT Brinjal is created by injecting a gene from a bacteria called bacillus thuringiensis found in the soil. The Genetically Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), has given its report to the government.
BACILLUS THURINGIENSIS BRINJA popularly known as ‘BT Brinjal’, may be allowed to be grown commercially in India very soon because, the committee constituted to study and recommend whether the crop can be grown in India or not, has given its nod.
BT Brinjal is created by injecting a gene called CRY 1 Ac, from a bacteria called bacillus thuringiensis found in the soil. The Genetically Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), has given its report to the government and suggested that Indian farmers growing the crop, would not be either detrimental to environment or human health.
Sources suggest that the committee set up by Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company (Mahyco), a local seed company which has been supplying technology by a US firm called Monsanto, allegedly free of cost, has given some inputs to GEAC on the basis of which this report has been prepared and submitted to the government. Mahyco is developing BT Brinjal in India and now wants it to be to grown commercially in this country.
If the environment ministry accepts the recommendations and allows the crop in India, it would affect lives and incomes of about 1.4 million farmers who grow Brinjal on about 5.5 lakh hectare of land and produce 82 lakh metric tons (MT) annually. Nobody right now, knows that whether ‘this affect’ would be ‘for good or for bad’.
Mahyco claims that BT Brinjal is resistant to pests and therefore will need less use of pesticides and insecticides, reducing the cost of production. Earlier, there was huge protest by environmentalists including ‘Greenpeace India’ on the possible use of this genetically manufactured (GM) food. The environmentalists are critical mainly on two grounds.
Firstly, they are worried about the GM crop's effects and side effects on health. Many health experts claim that GM foods affect our immune system adversely. Greenpeace India engaged Prof Gilles Eric Seralini, a French scientist, who made some experiments with BT brinjal. Seralini said in his assessment that the crop produces a protein in the cells of these GM vegetables which induces anti-biotic resistance.
This means that consumption of the Brinjal would decrease human resistance to infections and lead to the body becoming resistant to anti-biotic drugs, making cures difficult. The scientist also claims that BT Brinjal contains less calories as compared to generic Brinjal and the claim made by Monsanto is not correct vis-a-vis its high calories value.
On the basis of experiments, Seralini suggests that the use of BT Brinjal would cause problems related to kidney and liver. It would also effect the blood clotting time. Referring to the results derived from the experiments done on lactating mothers, the report says that consumption also drastically affects the secretion of milk from the lactating mothers and deprives babies of nutrition. It may cause diseases like swollen face, itching skins, allergies etc also.
Secondly, there are some more environmental damages which are likely to occur as claimed by many environmentalists. They apprehend that after eating up pollen grains of the BT Brinjal, many moths and butterflies would die and may led to their extinction.
The points in favour for the GM crop are also quite a few. Based on the experiences and data from the cultivation of BT Cotton in India, the advocates for BT Brinjal suggest that the commercial use of this variety would help India grow more vegetables to feed its growing population.
They say that now BT cotton which was used in India on commercial basis in 2002, has changed India’s cotton growing scenario. It is grown on 17 million acres of land and India has became second largest producer of cotton. The votaries opine that less use of pesticides would on the one hand, lessen the cost of production, which would in a way help farmers earn more and on the other hand, it would help lessen the pollution also
Growth of BT Cotton in India has also been a horrible experience. A large number of BT Cotton farmers have committed suicides. Experiences also suggest that once the farmers start growing GM foods, the supply of seeds are regulated and made more costly. The biggest handicap for the farmer is that in these GM cultivating farmers have to depend permanently on the MNCs for future seeds.
Thus, the farmers are linked permanently and made dependent for the rest of period on the MNCs who manufacture such seeds. This has been true in BT Cotton and is one of the most important reasons that caused the farmers suicides. This travesty and contradiction has to be borne by Indians in coming time because, it is also true that unless we increase the production, we will not be able to feed our ever growing population.
The world hunger report released recently alarmed the world that if situation goes unchecked and unprepared the number of hungry people which has already reached to one billion level, would further go up. Use of GM varieties has become a necessary evil and if we want to produce more, we have to switch over to these varieties.
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.Enough of dilly dallying on this most vital issue; first of all let's find out the goodness of brinjal as a preferred
vegetable and its nutrient value - my belief is any vegetable, if cooked beyond a certain heating degree parameter, tend to
lose its nutritional value and more or less become a substance like "carbohydrate". As for brinjal is concerned, it is popular
with the masses and in northern India, a curry known as "baigan kaa bhartha" ( spicy brinjal curry) is very popular; again
brinjal goes well with potato for curry or as a side dish. Nutrition wise I am not too sure of its many positive effects;
coming back to bt. brinjal ( or genetically modified brinjal), let's be very clear and honest that for the ever growing
population of India ONLY GM FOODS is the solution and answer. Companies like Monsanto are well equipped to undertake
big research before finally declaring a product (vegetable in this case) as fit for human consumption. All those NGOs who
are making a big hue and cry stating that bt Brinjal should not be allowed are favouring petty trading community and other
vested groups who feel threatened by the introduction of this GM food. My question is whether the the brinjal which is
currently available in the market are free from any defects - it is pertinent to point out about 30 - 50% of the brinjal
purchased from the open market goes as waste because after peeling and cutting it is found out there are small-medium-
big insects nicely moving inside vegetable. I wonder, whether hotel staff do take this issue seriously whereas in every household
the homemaker do take extra care to discard such insect infested brinjals. I am very sure the brinjal recommended as bt. brinjal
scores on many fronts (a) it uses less fertilisers and pesticides (b) can be grown in any atmospheric condition or soil (c) quality
wise it is more superior, all resulting in preserving our soil from getting eroded with too much of fertiliser or pesticides.
If at all, some people are going to lose - they will be mostly the pesticides manufactuers and fertiliser manufacturers - the
consumers are going to gain immensely for because of good quality with better price. Therefore, in all fairness, let's all
welcome bt. brinjal with open hands and help the country achieving good quality food security for the masses in the days to come.
thank you, vijay
.The argument of feeding the starving billions never fails ! well we are producing one and a half times the food that is needed the feed the world population, why is it that the most intelliegnt of earth's species is unable to distribute this food?
Well because we lack the will to do it...so we DONT NEED GM CROPS to feed billions , it is AN EVIL , but definitely NOT NECESSARY .....
This technology will only aid to fill the coffers of a few transnationals , by their own estimate the seed market will be worth 500 crores (for a vegetable seed mind you, imagine the amount when it is Bt rice , the next crop on the anvil) .
Of course we Indians, the first of the human species to be exposed to bt brinjal ,can wait and watch how it will affect or health ...
Our ignorance and blind faith in technology and anything western will be our nemesis..good luck to all of us !
.It is good to see that the writer of this article, though
critical in the initial phases, has concluded by writing that
the growing populace would benefit immenesely through GM foods;
it should be the duty of both the CEntral and State Governments
to ensure that farmers get affected directly or indirectly
through the usage of GM foods are adequately compensated by
either switching over to guaranteed job schemes or through other
welfare schemes so that any discontenment quotient arising out
of the usage of GM Foods are mitigated - experts need to
sort out this issue to save any farmer going in for extreme
steps like suicide because of the introduction of GM foods.
Thank you, CJ
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