Health ministry hurdle to Bt brinjal

Bt brinjal, which will become the first GM food crop to enter India, if it gets approval from the environment ministry for large-scale seed production and field trials, may face hurdles from the health ministry.

Health Minister Anbumani Ramdoss recently promised a delegation of farmers, scientists and activists from 10 states that the ministry would take a 'guarded view' on the matter of giving its permission to Bt brinjal.

Scientist and writer Devinder Sharma, a member of Forum for Biotechnology and Food Security who was part of the delegation, said, "The Bt gene which is resistant to the worst pest that hits brinjal is meant to work as a pesticide. Why should a man consume something that is meant to kill pests? We voiced these concerns to the minister. He was very receptive and promised to take a guarded view on the issue."

The resistance from the farmers and activists in different states is under the umbrella of Coalition for Anti GM Food.

Expressing concern over the matter, Ramdoss reportedly asked the ministry's two members in the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee, which comes under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, to take into account these apprehensions regarding human health before taking any decision.

The GEAC had recently sent back the application by Mahyco, the seed supplier of Bt brinjal, for further clarifications on certain safety aspects, besides asking for tests on goats and cattle fed on the leaves of Bt brinjal.

According to the Coalition members who met the minister, there was no need for bringing Bt brinjal in the country as there is no crisis in the traditional production here. Besides, there are safe pest management alternatives.

Regarding health concerns, the Coalition for Anti GM Food says that in India brinjal is also consumed directly, which means a direct ingestion of the toxins and all the concomitant adverse effects.

Further, there is no way that this country can distinguish between Bt and non-Bt brinjal and regulatory systems like labelling are not going to help consumers.

Members of the Coalition include Forum for Biotechnology and Food Security in Delhi, Shetkari Sanghatan, Maharashtra, Centre for Sustainable Agriculture, Andhra Pradesh and Bharatiya Kisan Union, Uttar Pradesh, besides groups of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan.