NEWS: Critics of GM crops are selfish people
Financial Express
Interview with Clive James
February 5, 2007
Industry calls him voice of the global biotech crop industry. Some even refer to him as the bookkeeper and for good reasons. Each year, Clive James, chairman of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA), undertakes the daunting task of preparing an exhaustive report on the adoption of biotech crops around the world. “More important than this is to share knowledge with the society on the benefits of adopting this modern agricultural technology,” says the founder of ISAAA that facilitates the acquisition and transfer of agricultural biotech applications from the developed countries, for the benefit of resource-poor farmers in the developing world. Earlier, he was deputy director general at the Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in Mexico, where he worked with Norman Borlaug, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate. “The big opportunity is round the corner and India needs to simplify its regulatory mechanism in order to reap the benefits of modern biotech,” he informs Sudhir Chowdhary.
Excerpts...
Why is a significant portion of the farming community paranoid about the adoption of GM crops?
Almost 53% of the world’s population now lives in countries where biotech crops are being approved, used, and are generating profits. In fact, majority of the global population is enjoying the benefits of biotech crops. This is a very conservative estimate because it is based on the 22 countries that actually plant biotech crops today. If we take into account the number of countries that have approved import of biotech crops for food and feed, the number of countries increases from 22 to 51.
Another indicator is that if we look at the adoption from 1996 when we had 1.7 million hectares to 2006 when we have 102 million hectares, biotech crops have registered a 60-fold increase in a period of 11 years. There is no crop technology of any sort that has got this level of adoption rate.
Why are they so averse and frightened of cultivating these crops?
When this technology was first introduced, it was the scientists and not the consumers and environmentalists who took a very responsible action and said that this is a new technology. With any new technology, it is important that people are cautious in case there is an issue they have not foreseen. It was a conference in the US that first put across the idea that biotech crops need to be closely monitored in the initial stages of cultivation.
The scientists emphasised that there is need for stringent regulation to make sure that biotech crops are safe and healthy for human mankind. If one were to look at 11 years of regulation, I would say that stewardship has been exemplary. The knowledge base built during these years allows us to do two things: simplify the regulatory process and make it more workable, at least in the developing countries. The challenge for India is to simplify the regulation.
But, there have been instances in India of people burning the fields with GM crops.
I am aware of this. In society, you always tend to get people that seem to be on the fanatic side. They are violent in their thoughts. I believe that in India like many other countries, one would find this element. They are opposed to almost everything—globalisation, technology and what not.
What needs to be done to ensure that biotech crops gain global acceptance ?
The lesson that we have learnt during the past decade is that it is imperative to share knowledge with the global society. Most things we are associated with in our daily lives are capable of damaging us. So, it is a matter of managing them because life with no risks does not exist. There is no situation that is zero-risk. And, those opposed to biotech crops are asking us whether we can guarantee that biotech crops are 100% risk-free. It is simply not possible. I believe that it is important to share the knowledge so that issues that could be harmful are managed effectively.
Where does India fit into the global scenario of GM crops?
We are at an exciting time in biotech’s adoption. India is emerging as a key leader in Asia. Not just that. Looking at the plant diversity existing here, India could be a test-bed for other countries to adopt GM crops on a large scale. The country tallied the most substantial percentage increase at 192% or 2.5 million hectares to total 3.8 million hectares, jumping two spots in the world ranking to become the fifth largest producer of biotech crops in the world, surpassing China for the first time. While the Americas led the first decade of biotech crop adoption, the second decade is likely to feature significant growth in Asia and its developing countries of India, China and the Philippines, as well as new biotech countries like Pakistan and Vietnam.
Can we expect to see greater acceptance for genetically modified fruits?
We have already seen some fruits being developed with GM technology. The one that has been adopted commercially is Papaya. Fruits utilise immense insecticides for their cultivation. The use of biotechnology minimises the use of insecticides. Biotechnology for fruits has not been utilized to full potential. These are high value crops and biotechnology has a promising future in their cultivation.
