Genetically Modified Crops

Why in news?

• Recently, the export of about 500 tonnes of rice from India has triggered an uproar in several European countries on the grounds that it was genetically modified (GM) rice.
• This emerged during a check by the European Commission’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed that was testing rice flour by the French company Westhove.

About Genetically Modified Organism:

• In GMO, genetic material (DNA) is altered or artificially introduced using genetic engineering techniques.
• Genetic modification involves the mutation, insertion, or deletion of genes.
• Inserted genes usually come from a different organism . For example: In Bt cotton, Bt genes from bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis are induced.
• Genetic modification is done to induce a desirable new trait which does not occur naturally in the species.
• GM techniques are used in:
  • Biological and medical research
  • Production of pharmaceutical drugs
  • Experimental medicine (e.g. gene therapy)
  • Agriculture (e.g. golden rice, Bt cotton etc.)
  • Genetically modified bacteria to produce the protein insulin
  • To produce biofuels from some GM bacteria, etc.

About GM crops:

• They are the plants used in agriculture, whose DNA has been modified to induce a desired new trait. The new trait might help in
  • Controlling certain pests, diseases, or environmental conditions,
  • Reduction of spoilage
  • Inducing resistance to chemical treatments (e.g. resistance to an herbicide)
  • Improving the nutrient profile of the crop
  • Atmospheric nitrogen fixation by cereal crops
  • Inducing tolerance to high salt soils and to flooding in crops
  • Inducing drought resistance in crops
  • Prolonging shelf life and commercial value of fruits and vegetables.

Genetically Modified Crops in India:

• Bt cotton is the only genetically modified (GM) crop that has been approved for commercial cultivation in 2002 by the Government of India
• It has alien genes from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) that allows the crop to develop a protein toxic to the common pest pink bollworm.
  • Herbicide Tolerant Bt (Ht Bt) cotton, on the other hand is derived with the insertion of an additional gene, from another soil bacterium, which allows the plant to resist the common herbicide glyphosate.
• Government has not approved commercial cultivation of any other GM crops, though efforts are made for brinjal and mustard.
  • In Bt brinjal, a gene allows the plant to resist attacks of fruit and shoot borers.
  • In DMH-11 mustard, genetic modification allows cross-pollination in a crop that self-pollinates in nature.
• In India, the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) is the apex body that allows for commercial release of GM crops. It is also mandated that trials of GM crops must obtain permission from States.
• Use of the unapproved GM variant can attract a jail term of 5 years and fine of Rs. 1 lakh under the Environment Protection Act, 1986.

What is the source of contamination?

• India does not permit the commercial cultivation of GM rice, but research groups are testing varieties of such rice in trial plots.
• So the suspicion is that rice from some of these test-plots may have “leaked” into the exported product.
• If past events are looked at then a possibility does arise wherein the contamination might have happened in India.
• For instance: Bt-cotton was widely prevalent in farmer fields before being cleared. Though they have not been cleared, Bt-brinjal and herbicide-tolerant cotton varieties too have been detected in farmer fields.

Add ons:

• GM-free rice that is tagged as ‘organic rice’ is among India’s high-value exports amounting to 18 million tonnes worth ?63,000 crore annually, and reach more than 75 countries.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Consider the following statements:

1.Bt cotton is the only genetically modified (GM) crop that has been approved for commercial cultivation in India

2. The threshold for genetically modified organisms (GMO) in food crops imported into India is set by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer