Ramesh to begin talks on Bt brinjal in January

Amid growing opposition to the human consumption of genetically-modified brinjal, also referred to as Bt brinjal, in various quarters, Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh will travel across the country in January to hold consultations.

During his month-long tour, Ramesh would seek views from scientists, agriculture experts, farmers’ organisations, consumer groups and non-government organisations (NGOs) on the report submitted by the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) on Bt brinjal in October.

The committee has recommended that Bt brinjal is safe for environment release in India. In accordance with the event-based approval mechanism, GEAC may approve all the Bt Brinjal hybrids and varieties containing event EE-I developed by Mahyco, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, and field tested so far.

Informed sources told Business Standard that Ramesh had already announced that the proposed consultations aim at arriving at a careful decision in the public and national interest. The decision with regard to allowing Bt Brinjal for human consumption would be made after the consultation process was complete.

GEAC, in its report, observed that Bt brinjal event EE-1 has been extensively tested for its biosafety and no additional studies or review were necessary. Further, the committee said regulatory mechanism was a dynamic process which was continuously updated based on scientific developments and evidences.

Therefore, the need for prescribing additional studies needs to be carried out on a case-by-case basis and consideration of data generated during the biosafety assessment. According to GEAC, raising the bar of the regulatory process based on hypothetical concerns and apprehensions would be highly detrimental for research and development in the area of agricultural biotechnology, especially for public sector institutions and the benefits to the society at large.

Vijay Sardhana, advisor to the Centre for Food Security and Sustainable Agri Businesses, suggested that the government should not approve the human consumption of Bt brinjal in a hurry. “The Centre for Food Security and Sustainable Agri Businesses is not against technology but there should be proper assessment and evaluation. The government should put on its website all assessment reports,” Sardhana said.

He noted that the government should clarify whether the Bt brinjal variety has been treated to assess food safety implications on infants and other allergic population.