Context

• For the first time ever, India will import 15 lakh tonnes of genetically modified (GM) soyameal to help the poultry industry tide over the crisis of high feed prices.

 

Background

• The chicken business has been badly hit due to the commodity prices and covid. 
• Now, the demand has started coming back. However, raw material prices increased from Rs 40/kg a year ago to Rs 95/kg. 
• The shortage of soyameal is really big.

 

About

• The Ministry of Forest and Climate Change has said that since soya de-oiled cake and crushed cake does not contain any living modified organism, the Ministry has no objection for import of soya cake or meal from the environmental angle. 
• Hence, import of soya meal will not be subjected to the Schedule 1 of GEAC import policy approval as it is a non-living organism.
• Anything which is non-food (not consumed by humans) is not within the ambit of the FSSAI Act, 2006, and therefore feed is not regulated by FSSAI.
• Note: India has been importing GM soyabean oil and also consumes locally produced GM cotton seed oil.
• Bt cotton is the only genetically modified (GM) crop that has been approved for commercial cultivation in 2002.

 

What are GM crops?

• GM food involves the editing of genes of a crop in such a way that it incorporates beneficial traits from another crop or organism.
• This could mean changing the way the plant grows, or making it resistant to a particular disease.
• Food produced using the edited crop is called GM food. This is done using the tools of genetic engineering.

 

Advantages of GM crops

• Genetic engineering can improve crop protection.
• Crops with better resistance to pest and diseases can be created.
• The use of herbicides and pesticides can be reduced or even eliminated.
• Farmers can achieve high yield, and thereby get more income.
• Nutritional content can be improved.
• Shelf life of foods can be extended.
• Food with better taste and texture can be achieved.
• Crops can be engineered to withstand extreme weather.

 

Why is there stiff opposition to GM crops?

• India has one of the strongest regulatory protocols for field trials of GM crops.
• Genetically engineered foods often present unintended side effects.
• Genetic engineering is a new field, and long-term results are unclear. Very little testing has been done on GM food.
• Some crops have been engineered to create their own toxins against pests. This may harm non-targets such as farm animals that ingest them. 
• The toxins can also cause allergy and affect digestion in humans.
• Further, GM crops are modified to include antibiotics to kill germs and pests.
• And when we eat them, these antibiotic markers will persist in our body and will render actual antibiotic medications less effective over a period of time, leading to superbug threats. 
• This means illnesses will become more difficult to cure.
• Besides health and environmental concerns, activists point to social and economic issues. 
• They have voiced serious concern about multinational agribusiness companies taking over farming from the hands of small farmers. 
• People in general are wary of GM crops as they are engineered in a lab and do not occur in Nature.

 

World scenario

• Only 29 countries allow commercial cultivation of GM crops while a similar number also allow their import. 
• And most of the 170 million hectares under GM crops are in the USA, Brazil, Argentina, India and China. 

 

• 98% of GM cultivation falls under four main crops: soyabean, maize, cotton and canola.

 

Way Ahead

• GM Crops can withstand drought, resist pests and raise yields to feed the growing world population.
• But this should be done through a transparent regulatory process that is free of ethical conflicts. 
• All this underscores the need for a cautious approach — one that fosters scientific inquiry, allows for scrutiny and is underpinned by regulation. 
• Enacting a comprehensive law that covers all aspects of GM crops should be a priority.

 

GEAC

• GEAC is apex body under Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change for regulating manufacturing, use, import, export and storage of hazardous micro-organisms or genetically engineered organisms (GMOs) and cells in the country.
• It is also responsible for giving technical approval of proposals relating to release of GMOs and products including experimental field trials.
• However, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change gives final approval for GMOs.

 

https://m.economictimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/for-the-first-time-india-opens-doors-for-genetically-modified-soyameal-imports-for-poultry/amp_articleshow/85293839.cms