Even as heated debates on the health and socio-economic impact of the
genetically modified food rages on, India is all set to get a taste of the
first-ever engineered food -- Bt Brinjal, which will be available for
consumption in India within an year.

Being the first GE product for human consumption, methodologies of Bt
Brinjal research assume more importance, particularly in the light of a
recent research report by the Austrian government that consumption of GE
food is likely to cause infertility in humans.

Kavita Kuruganty, a scientist at the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture
(CSA) Hyderabad, says: ?In Italy and Austria, government-funded studies have
shown adverse impact of GE.

Because of the potential threat GE products can pose, production and
consumption of GE products have been banned in these countries.

In Switzerland, the moratorium for introducing GE food was extended on
public demand.

In India, however, there have been no independent studies or move to label
GE products.

Since these products are not labelled, there would be no choice for
consumers.? Research for development of Bt Brinjal varieties is being done
in two locations in Karnataka - one in Bangalore and another in Dharwad,
headed by the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Dharwad. Dr Sunil
Shetty, researcher at UAS claimed to be unaware of the Austrian government
report.

Same was the response from K K Tripathi, Advisor at Department of
Biotechnology (DBT), New Delhi, which partially funds the research. The
United States Agency for International Development (USAID), a US government
agency, is the other agency that funds GE development research in India.
However, Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) member Ranjini
Warrier said that the Austrian report is being examined.

Under the study in UAS, six local varieties of brinjal are being genetically
modified.

Once Bt Brinjal is approved by the GEAC based on IIVR studies, the varieties
developed by UAS will be available on the market.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Hybrid Seed Company (Mahyco) has already received
approval for seed production, which will be available to farmers after GEAC
approval.

Mahyco is the sole agency with rights to Bt Brinjal, which brings up the
issue of corporate control over agriculture. Once a farmer buys Mahyco
seeds, he will have to buy the same every season. US corporate giant
Monsanto, the parent company of Mahyco, had lost a Monopolistic and
Restrictive Trade Policy (MRTP) case for Bt Cotton in 2006, as it
manipulated market prices despite lack of competition.

?Bt Cotton technology is increasingly being accepted by farmers. If modified
food shows abnormal behaviour, it can be detected early, hence there is no
cause for concern,? says Dr Sunil Shetty. But Kavita, who has been heading
anti-GM campaigns, begs to differ. ?The Indian Council for Agricultural
Research (ICAR) has developed technology for nonchemical management of
brinjal. Pest management is possible without chemical pesticides.

Also, it is ridiculous to suggest that an increase in brinjal produce can
address poverty.

When eco-farming is proven to be a healthy and sustainable option and the
longterm effects of GE are not yet known, it should not be commercialised,?
she said.

?Transgenic research will benefit all?

Transgenic research can be used to manufacture vaccines and produce crops of
high nutrition content, former director of Indian Institute of Science G
Padmanabhan said on Monday. Padmanabhan was speaking at the inauguration of
the sixth international training programme on ?Basic with molecular markers
and transgenic techniques for crop improvement? at the University of
Agricultural Sciences here on Monday.

He said the vitamin genes can be inserted in crops like rice and tomato to
prevent the problem of malnutrition. Research on developing plant-based
vaccines for Hepatitis- B, cholera and other infectious diseases is also
going on. Genetic engineering can be used to develop drought-resistant crops
as well, Padmanabhan said.
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