The national debate on genetically modified food seems to be gaining
momentum in states as well.

Two recently launched international reports on the health impact of GM food
were released on Thursday by GM-free Karnataka Coalition as part of the `I
am No Labrat pan-India people's campaign.'

One report, commissioned by the Austrian government and conducted by the
University of Vienna, revealed that GM could cause infertility. Another
independent analysis of the `Effects on Health and Environment of Transgenic
(genetically modified) Bt Brinjal' conducted by Prof. Gilles-Eric Seralini
of France concluded that Bt Brinjal's release could pose a risk to health
and the environment.

Divya Raghunandan, campaigns director, Greenpeace, emphasizing the recent
Austrian government study, said: "It is the same corn that's being
field-tested in the country now. It may take a few years or even a
generation to see the impact of GM. By then it will be too late because the
effects are irreversible."

Prof. Seralini's analysis of Mahyco's Bt brinjal biosafety data - as
submitted to the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) points out
that the Bt brinjal produces a protein, which can induce resistance to
kanamycin, a well-known antibiotic.

According to Kodihalli Chandrashekar, president of Karnataka State Farmers'
Union, it is imperative that the State Government now takes an active role
in understanding the seriousness and stopping GM crops immediately.
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