Debating diets

Genetically modified foods get flak from the anti-GM lobby.

The debate on genetically modified (GM) foods — cereals and vegetables — is raging again. This time the anti-GM lobby in India has a new voice of support, England’s Prince Charles, who made an appeal to the Indian farmers from being tempted with GM crops. Speaking at the Sir Albert Howard Memorial Lecture, to the NGO Navdanya, spearheaded by fierce GM critic

Dr Vandana Shiva, Prince Charles said: “The reason I keep sticking my 60-year-old head above an increasingly dangerous parapet is because I believe that unless we work with nature, we will fail to restore the equilibrium needed to survive on this planet.”

His warning comes after a recent World Bank report which says the next 30 years will be unpredictable for food production around the globe. It estimates worldwide cereal production needs to increase by at least 50 per cent and meat production by 80 per cent between 2000 and 2030 to meet the rising demands. And that’s possible only when there’s a radical rethink of farming and technologies.

GM has been touted as manna from heaven and is seen by many governments, especially those of the developing nations, as the factor to boost food production. For the average consumer the debate can be quite confusing. Both sides — pro and anti-GM — validate their arguments but there has been an alarm that imports of packaged food into India is not being monitored for GM content.

Greenpeace India recently released a publication on India’s ongoing trials with GM crops such as brinjal and rice. It states GE food research has increased by almost 250 per cent since 2005. Even ayurvedic medicinal herbs are subject to genetic engineering.

There is also confusion on the proposed mandatory labelling of GM food in India. It is said that the health ministry has planned to pass on the responsibility to the Food Safety and Standards Authority. A year ago a committee of experts, appointed by the government, had unanimously recommended mandatory labelling of all GM foods and also setting up of an authority to monitor and regulate the GM industry.