GENE REVOLUTION - SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
News: Why India cannot afford to ignore the GM crop revolution
What's in the news?
● Recently, the Government decided to release India's first genetically modified (GM) food crop, Dhara Mustard Hybrid-11 (DMH-11), for "environmental release," but some activists petitioned the Supreme Court to prohibit it for a variety of reasons.
What is the Gene revolution?
● Gene revolution is the upcoming technological development in the agricultural field.
● It is based on biotechnology where microbiological methods can be applied.
● It began in the 1990s with the failure of the green revolution to improve the agricultural yield.
Features:
The key components of biotechnology used in gene revolution are,
● Genomics for the mapping of genomes.
● Bio-informatics for the assembly of the genomic data in an accessible way.
● Transformation to insert beneficial genes.
● Molecular breeding to identify beneficial genetic traits.
● Diagnostics to identify pathogens at the molecular level.
● Vaccines to control diseases.
What are GM crops?
● GM crops are plants whose genes have been artificially modified, usually by inserting genetic material from another organism, to give them new properties such as
○ Increased yield
○ Herbicide tolerance
○ Disease or drought resistance
○ Improved nutritional value
● Golden rice is most likely the most well-known GM rice variety.
● Golden rice is made by combining genes from a plant - both daffodils and maize have been used - and a soil bacterium to create a grain rich in Vitamin A.
● Previously, India approved the commercial cultivation of only one GM crop, Bt cotton, but GEAC has recommended that GM Mustard be approved for commercial use.
Well known GM Crops:
● Bt cotton is the only Genetically Modified (GM) crop that is allowed in India. It has alien genes from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) that allows the crop to develop a protein toxic to the common pest pink bollworm.
● Herbicide Tolerant Bt (Ht Bt) cotton, on the other hand is derived with the insertion of an additional gene, from another soil bacterium, which allows the plant to resist the common herbicide glyphosate.
● In Bt brinjal, a gene allows the plant to resist attacks of fruit and shoot borers.
● In DMH-11 mustard, genetic modification allows cross-pollination in a crop that self-pollinates in nature.
Bt Cotton:
● Bt cotton is an insect-resistant cotton variety.
● Strains of the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis produce different Bt toxins.
● Bt toxins are insecticidal to the larvae of moths, bollworms, etc. but are harmless to other forms of life.
● In 2002, a joint venture between Monsanto and Mahyco introduced Bt cotton to India.
Advantages:
● Increases yield of cotton due to effective control of three types of bollworms.
● Reduction in insecticide use in the cultivation of Bt cotton in which bollworms are major pests.
● Potential reduction in the cost of cultivation (depending on seed cost versus insecticide costs).
Problems with Bt Cotton:
● High cost of Bt cotton seeds as compared to non Bt cotton seeds.
● Ineffective against sucking pests like whitefly.
● Whitefly attack has become rampant in Punjab, Haryana and elsewhere.
● The costs of Bt seed and insecticide increase the risk of farmer bankruptcy in low-yield rain-fed settings.
Lessons from the Bt cotton decision for India:
1. Increased production:
● Cotton production increased remarkably from a mere 13.6 million bales (1 bale = 170 kg) in 2002-03 to 39.8 million bales in 2013-14, registering an increase of 192 per cent in just 12 years, ushering the famous “gene revolution”.
2. Increased productivity:
● Cotton productivity increased from 302 kg per hectare in 2002-03 to 566 kg per hectare in 2013-14, an increase of 76 per cent, while the area under cotton cultivation expanded by 56 per cent, of which about 95 per cent is under Bt cotton.
3. Increased income:
● Farmer's incomes increased significantly.
4. Economic growth:
● Bt cotton led Gujarat’s “agrarian miracle” of a very high (above 8 percent) annual growth rate in agri-GDP during 2002-03 to 2013-14.
5. Increased exporter status:
● It made India the second-largest producer after China, and the second-largest exporter after the US, of cotton in the world today.
Gene Revolution advantages:
1. Crops:
● Enhanced taste and quality.
● Reduced maturation time.
● Increased nutrients, yields, and stress tolerance.
● Improved resistance to disease, pests, and herbicides.
● New products and growing techniques.
2. Animals:
● Increased resistance, productivity, hardness, and feed efficiency.
● Better yields of meat, eggs, and milk.
● Improved animal health and diagnostic methods.
3. Environment:
● “Friendly” bioherbicides and bioinsecticides.
● Conservation of soil, water and energy.
● Bioprocessing for forestry products.
● Better natural waste management.
4. Society:
● Increased food security for the growing population.
Issues with Gene Revolution:
1. Safety:
● The adverse impacts of genetically modified food are not evident immediately.
● Potential human health impact: allergens, transfer of antibiotic resistance markers, unknown effects.
2. Threat to Biodiversity:
● Cross-pollination in GM crops paves the way for herbicide-resistant superweeds that can further threaten the sustenance of other crops and pests because of their uncontrolled growth. In short, biodiversity gets threatened.
● GM crops because of their pest resistance characteristics could eliminate important species of pests that are responsible for sustaining domestic varieties and can pose serious threats to biodiversity. They Can affect the food chain also.
3. Criticism against the Anti-GM lobby:
● Instead of evaluating the risks, costs and benefits of hybrids on a case-by-case basis, they propose a blanket ban on genetic modification.
4. Access and Intellectual Property:
● Domination of world food production by a few companies.
● Increasing dependence on industrialized nations by developing countries.
● Biopiracy - foreign exploitation of natural resources.
5. Ethics:
● Violation of natural organism's intrinsic values.
● Tampering with nature by mixing genes among species.
● Objections to transferring animal genes in plants and vice versa.
6. Labelling:
● Not mandatory in some countries (e.g. United States).
● Mixing GM crops with non-GM confounds labelling attempts.
7. Research:
● The objectivity and authenticity of scientific research and publication.
8. Effectiveness:
● The ineffectiveness of BT cotton against whitefly attack in Punjab and Haryana has raised more questions.
9. Fear of increased mono cropping:
● Farmers’ exposure to a greater risk of monopoly in the seed business.
10. Issues with banning GM crops:
● The ban on GM crops is also promoting an illegal market to flourish in India.
● Bangladesh is reaping the benefits of Bt Brinjal while its cultivation is banned in India.
11. GMO have already entered the food chain:
● Cotton seed oil extracted from Bt cotton plants is being consumed in Gujarat and Maharashtra.
● Soybean oil is extracted from imported seeds, which are produced from GM crops abroad.
12. Illegal cultivation (Farmer’s rights vs. Government Regulation):
● A farmers’ group in Maharashtra, marked its protest against the Government ban on genetically modified (GM) crops by planting Bt brinjal and HT cotton.
● There is a grave danger of illegal genetically modified brinjal cultivation proliferating.
Why are GM crops important for India?
1. India’s heavy dependence on Imported edible oils:
● India heavily depends on imported edible oils (55-60 per cent of India’s domestic requirement is imported).
● A large portion of this about three-four million tonnes every year comes from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, the US, etc, which is all from GM technology (in soybean and canola).
2. Import and GM crops are already in our food chain:
● We eat plenty of our own cotton seed (binola) oil, and about 95 per cent of our cotton is now GM.
● Cotton seed is also fed to cattle which gives the milk its fat content. Even poultry feed, such as soya and corn, is being imported.
● GM food is already in our food chain, and has been there for quite some time.
3. A chance to emerge as a major export hub:
● It was expected that India would be at the forefront of the gene revolution and emerge as a major export hub to other Asian and African countries.
● What the IT revolution has done in computer science, the Bt revolution could have done in agriculture.
WAY FORWARD:
1. Field trials of GM mustard:
● It showed 25-28 percent higher yield and better disease resistance compared to indigenous varieties.
● This can help in augmenting domestic mustard oil supplies and farmer's incomes.
2. Dissent:
● It is a good sign in any democratic society and forms an essential part of checks and balances. But once the safety tests are done and the scientific body (GEAC) has given the green signal, the process should not be hampered.
3. Science based:
● The agriculture of tomorrow is going to be science-based, and the winners will be those who adopt it and develop it further today.
4. “Jai Anusandhan” slogan given by PM:
● It will have meaning only when the Government goes ahead with not just GM mustard but also fast-tracks Ht Bt cotton, Bt brinjal, and even GM soya and corn.
Go back to basics:
About GEAC:
● The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) functions under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).
● It is responsible for the appraisal of activities involving large-scale use of hazardous microorganisms and recombinants in research and industrial production from the environmental angle.
● The committee is also responsible for the appraisal of proposals relating to the release of genetically engineered (GE) organisms and products into the environment including experimental field trials.
● GEAC is chaired by the Special Secretary/Additional Secretary of MoEF&CC and co-chaired by a representative from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT).