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Plant: DBT contemplates changes to GM crop field trial regulations





PART 1


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TITLE:  DBT CONTEMPLATES CHANGES TO GM CROP FIELD TRIAL REGULATIONS

SOURCE: The Financial Express, India

URL:    http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=150084

DATE:   28.12.2006

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DBT CONTEMPLATES CHANGES TO GM CROP FIELD TRIAL REGULATIONS

EW DELHI, DEC 27:  Faced with the problem of maintaining the country’s image as an exporter of GM-free rice, the department of biotechnology (DBT) is now contemplating changes in its guidelines for regulation of field trials for genetically modified (GM) crops.

DBT secretary, MK Bhan , DBT advisor KK Tripathi and advisor in the science and technology ministry, SR Rao have suggested that no field trials of GM rice should be allowed in Basmati rice producing states—Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.

India has a competitive advantage in the export of its premium aromatic rice—Basmati—worth in millions of dollars. The recent contamination of US and Chinese rice with GM traces and the consequent refusal of the contaminated shipments by major importing countries sent shock waves across the global trade. The US rice industry incurred a loss in millions of dollars and suggested “a clean up exercise” to the US administration.

With the uprooting and burning of GM rice crops under field trials by farmers in the country and NGOs reporting cases of violation of biosafety norms, Indian rice exporters woke up to the reality and began asking for strict implementation of biosafety norms to prevent any possible contamination of exportable rice with GM traces.

The exporters even went to the extent of filing an impleadment application in the on-going writ petition filed by Aruna Rodrigues and others in the Supreme Court. Aruna Rodrigues and others have urged for a moratorium on GM crops. The DBT, in this context, called for a consultation with major stakeholders last week to trash out the issue. In the consultation it was decided that the directorate of agriculture and agriculture universities in the states concerned would be informed about the permission for field trials of GM crops.

The village panchayats would also be informed about the field trials. The letter of permission should specifically say “confined trial” and not “contained trial.”

It was also decided that all information about the field would be shared with the public through relevant websites. DBT would take steps to educate farmers and other stakeholders on biotechnology and GM crops using the services of BCIL and AgBios.


PART 2


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TITLE:  MINISTER DEFENDS GM CROP CULTIVATION

SOURCE: Chennai Online Service, India

URL:    http://www.chennaionline.com/colnews/newsitem.asp?NEWSID=%7BA0660EE3-1DF5-42A3-98D4-06FC5095CDA6%7D&CATEGORYNAME=Chennai

DATE:   28.12.2006

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MINISTER DEFENDS GM CROP CULTIVATION

Chennai, Dec 27: Union Minister for Environment and Forests A Raja today said genetically modified (GM) crops were products of increased radical intervention into nature than the older methods of crossbreeding.

GM crops are different from anything that existed before, because it involves transplantation of genes between different organisms, Raja said, while inaugurating the 32nd All India Sociological Conference here.

"Genetic modification of plants can enhance crop yield, improve productivity of marginal land, need lesser clearing of lands for farming, reduce irrigation and agrochemical requirements and fortification of crops for enhancing nutritional value," he said.

"Some people believe that the key to diverting any potential food crisis lies in recent advances in science and biotechnology, especially crop improvements through genetic manipulation," he added.

"It is imperative to build public confidence through proper communication, so that consumers are well informed about the benefits and risks, if any, of GM foods," he said.

The cultivation of GM crops in Tamil Nadu had come into severe criticism from various corners, including AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa who alleged that it would reduce productivity and affect soil quality. The opposition had also raised the issue during the winter session of the state Assembly.


PART 3


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TITLE:  NEW NORMS FOR FIELD TRIALS OF GM CROPS

SOURCE: Hindustan Times, India

URL:    http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1875988,0008.htm

DATE:   21.12.2006

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NEW NORMS FOR FIELD TRIALS OF GM CROPS

In the first major repercussion of farmers' revolt against field trials of GM crops, the government has decided that no trails will be allowed without the consent of the Panchayat or gram sabha of the area where trials are to be conducted.

In a decision taken last week and communicated to the state governments this week, the ministry of Environment and Forests has called the GM seed manufacturers to provide all details of field trails to the Panchayat members before conducting trails.  They have also being asked to bring in more transparency in conducting the field trials.

In November, the Chattisgarh government had lodged a complaint with the ministry against a multi-national GM seeds manufacturing company alleging that the trials were conducted near Raipur without informing the government. The field was destroyed by the government officials in presence of state agriculture minister, prompting the state government to lodge the complaint.

Considering objection of the Chattisgarh government and farmer action against GM rice fields in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) of the ministry also decided that in future no approval for field trials would be issued unless the specific locations to conduct the trials are provided by the companies.

The GEAC has also decided to issue show cause notices to companies under Environment Protection Act for violations of regulations for conducting field trails. A failure observed by the members of the committee was that not 'satisfactory information' was provided to the community before conducting GM crop field trials. The failure was noted specifically to trials in Guntur and Gulbarga districts of Andhra Pradesh, as pointed out by Centre for Sustainable Agriculture.

In a bid to further strengthen the safety net around fields where GM crops trials are being done, the GEAC has asked the companies to comply with both 'physical' and 'biological' safety measures. The physical measures include isolation of field where the trails are being done and cover the field with tarpaulin sheet to prevent any contamination. The biological measures include planting non-transgenic rice around the experimental crop to act as pollen trapper to nullify contamination chances.

The GEAC also said that the state Agriculture Universities will monitor that these containment measures are undertaken by the seed companies.

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