Are new regulations for GM crops a boon for agribiotech?

At a time when GMP trade is being permitted in the country, the new regulations proposed by the Union government is expected to keep check on the illegal movement of GMOs. But there is more to the fact that genetic engineering has brought in significant changes in Indian agriculture. The fact that a million farmers have elected to plant Bt cotton over 13 lakh of 90 lakh hectare in 2005 is a classic example.

The power of advanced biology embodied in the form of seeds has reached every small and big farms in the country, outperforming the adoption rate of the first green revolution. Imagine a single agri-biotech product assuring 250 lakh bales of cotton production, substantially reducing pesticide sprays, lessening farmers' health suffering and making contribution in the tune of Rs 2,000 crore to our farm economy.

Given that genetically modified products employ technological intervention at the molecular level and resulting product incorporates pre-defined changes in the genetic make-up, therefore, the regulatory bodies ensure that these products undergo a rigorous biosafety and risk assessment. Indian regulatory bodies have multi-pronged, multi-level, multi-party involvement in undertaking scientific studies to ensure that the biotech products are as safe as conventional products.

These regulations are further strengthened, as it requires public sector institutions such as ICAR to undertake independent scientific studies and experimentation of the GM products under regulatory review on agronomic performance and environmental safety and submit its undisclosed data and safety assessment to the regulatory bodies. After analysing the data submitted by different agencies, the Genetically Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC)validates claims and authorises the applicants to commercialise seeds for a particular agronomic zone suitable for cultivation of the same. This is what had happened in the case of approval of the Bt cotton. It was a long saga of food, feed, agronomical and environmental safety assessment.

India has one of the oldest and robust regulatory regime to handle genetically modified products on case-by-case basis. The regulatory system has been improved many times keeping in view the pace of biotechnological advancement and trade related international obligations. Recently, the ministry of commerce has notified new regulation for import of GM products under the Foreign Trade Policy 2004-09. The new rules would authorise the GEAC to handle all incoming GM materials. This is a commendable step, as India didn't have rules for bulk movement and there were lots of ambiguity about the import of GM products. On one hand it would support single window clearance system while on other hand, it would put immense pressure on the GEAC to look into the nitty-gritty of each and every consignment. The latter puts the country and consumers on backpedal, as it would demand approval for each consignment causing delay and frustration. It is up to the GEAC to devise simplified rules for bulk import of GM products that are
safe and widely consumed in developed countries. Similarly, the ministry of health and family welfare has issued draft notification to introduce labeling of genetically modified products to be sold in the country. It seems that the labeling requirements are not well thought off and hurriedly notified ignoring the reality of countries vast unorganised food supply chain.

The labelling rules are unjustified given that there is no segregated procurement system in the country for GM and non-GM crops.

-The writer is national coordinator, South Asia, ISAAA