The editorial, “GM lessons” ( Business Line , October 31) succintly captures the ongoing debate on the future of agriculture biotechnology in the country. The Bt cotton story is all too well known. First, illegal Bt cotton proliferated in Gujarat even before the legal one had gone through the regulatory process of rigorous protocols as well as trials for allergenicity, toxicity and agronomic value. The irony was that the illegal seeds started outperforming the legal ones as illegal Bt technology was introduced into better performing hybrids whereas those that went through the regulatory process were outdated. But the consequences were alarming, given the lack of stewardship and agronomic extension required to get the desired results; it added fuel to the already misunderstood technology.

Some lessons

Therefore, lesson number one is that while the regulatory system should ensure sound protocols are adopted, it should definitely not get bogged down by misguided campaigns or political pressure. The regulatory system should instil confidence that any GM crop cleared for release has been through a rigorous and independent process.

The second lesson is the sequencing of the release of approved seeds in the country. Since the regulators initially released the seeds according to geographies, the eager farmers who had not yet got it in their State crossed over and got them wherever they had been released. There was a famous train, famously called the Bt Express, that used to travel from Punjab to Gujarat, ferrying people and seeds! This caused problems of the seeds performing differently in ‘other’ agro climatic conditions.The GM technology introduced in crops addresses various stresses that affect growth. Herbicide-tolerant technology deals with weeds that compete with plants for sunlight, nutrients and water. Bt technology takes on pests that affect plant productivity. There are others that address various climatic stresses like moisture and drought.

Big challenge

The biggest challenge of the 21st century is to provide better nutrition to a growing population . With India alone estimated to add close to half a billion people by 2050, farmers will have to grow crops more efficiently, conserve existing land, improve biodiversity and, most importantly, integrate smallholders currently holding less than two hectares into the mainstream of the developmental process.

With 98 per cent of the available agricultural land under cultivation, more than 80 per cent of the increase in production will have to come from yield increases. There is only 5-6 per cent scope for expansion of arable area. We also need to have more biodiversity and less degradation, as the inappropriate use of fertilisers and pesticides has led to water pollution and damage to larger ecosystems. Estimates reveal that nearly 120.72 million hectares of land in India is degraded due to soil erosion and about 8.4 million hectares have soil salinity and water-logging problems. Besides, huge quantities of nutrients are lost during the crop production cycle. Annually, India loses nearly 0.8 million tonnes of nitrogen, 1.8 million tonnes of phosphorus and 26.3 million tonnes of potassium.

GM holds out promise for small farmers who cultivate 44 per cent of farmland and whose contribution to farm output exceeds 50 per cent.

(The author is an executive in a GM seeds company. The views are personal.)

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