There has been a lot of hype, as well controversies on genetically modified crops (GMCs). While one set of people associate GMCs with seed monopoly and a possible threat to human and environmental safety, yet others think that fear mongers shouldn't hurdle scientific biological innovations. There is also an ongoing debate on the 'Golden Rice', a genetically modified variant of rice fortified with Vitamin A, developed by the International Rice Research Institute. But before we try to see these distinct standpoints in light of reasoning, here are some quick stats about Genetically Modified Crops:
The history of genetic engineering of crops falls within a bracket of 35 years. The first genetically modified crop, a variant of Tobacco was produced in the year 1982. Thereafter, following field trials in the US and France, the first commercial cultivation of GM Tobacco started in the People's Republic of China in 1992.
Today, the United States is a major cultivator of GM crops. And a number of genetically modified crops like Potato, Maize, Corn, Soybean, Cotton, etc., are being cultivated in the US and other countries. According to a 2013 study, 18 million farmers in 28 countries were cultivating GM crops of them 54% belong to developing countries. In India, where Monsanto started selling its GM cotton in the year 1998, today, nearly 88% of the cotton cultivated is Monsanto's Bollgard cotton/Bt cotton.
GM seeds are produced with traits like drought/weather resistance, pest resistance, and better shelf life. Manufacturers of these seeds claim that GM crops will favor sustainable farming as they can produce more yield per land with a lesser use of pesticides. Like for example, Monsanto has been selling its Bt Cotton with claims that the cotton variant has resistance to the common pest Bollworm. The protein strain in Bt cotton - soil bacterium 'Bacillus thuringiensis' - produces a range of Bt Toxins that can kill different types of insects that feed on the cotton plant. This was supposed to minimize the use of insecticides/pesticides. By an apparent logic, farmers would be able to save their crops from being infested by pests and spend less on pesticides. But in many countries, after an initial high yield, within about few years, pests started developing resistance to the Bt toxin. This resulted in farmers spending more money on pesticides in addition to the high prices with which they bought the GM seeds, in order to save their crops.
The condition in India was no different. After its foray into the Indian market in the year 1998, Monsanto introduced its GM cotton Bollgard I in the year 2002 and Bollgard II in the year 2006, with approval from the Agricultural Ministry. Monsanto had signed contracts with 28 Indian seed companies to sell and collect royalties for the GM cotton seeds it promoted in India. According to Reuters, Monsanto sold more than 41 million GM cotton seed packets last year, earning royalties of 6.5 billion Indian rupees ($97 million).
While Monsanto's business in India so far has been profitable, Indian cotton farmers in many regions, after some initial high yielding crop seasons, started facing the problem of severe pest resistance. Clearly, the Bt cotton couldn't offer them what it promised. The unexpected rise in input costs on pesticides (in addition to high seed costs) led many farmers to seek unsecured loans. Further, owing to conditions like soil erosion due to prolonged use of pesticides and subsequent drought years, many cotton farmers suffered repeated crop failure.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau, 12,360 farmers committed suicide in India in the year 2014. The highest number of farmer suicide cases were reported in the year 2004 with 18,241 lives lost. Though farmer suicides are attributed to an aggregate of socio-economic problems faced by the farmers, numbers particularly of cotton farmers, over the last 18 years point to the failure of GM cotton/ Bt Cotton. But Monsanto is still in a denial mode.
GMCs have both stories of high yield, also of failures. But they only point to their commercial outcome. Issues like intellectual property rights, royalties, and seed monopoly that threaten self-reliance of the farmers, and larger issues like the long-term impact of GM crops on human health and the environment, and how genetic re-engineering might affect co-evolution of species, which are in a natural evolutionary cycle, still remain unanswered. Incidentally, 39 countries in the world, including many European nations have a ban on GM crops.
The history of genetic engineering of crops falls within a bracket of 35 years. The first genetically modified crop, a variant of Tobacco was produced in the year 1982. Thereafter, following field trials in the US and France, the first commercial cultivation of GM Tobacco started in the People's Republic of China in 1992.
Today, the United States is a major cultivator of GM crops. And a number of genetically modified crops like Potato, Maize, Corn, Soybean, Cotton, etc., are being cultivated in the US and other countries. According to a 2013 study, 18 million farmers in 28 countries were cultivating GM crops of them 54% belong to developing countries. In India, where Monsanto started selling its GM cotton in the year 1998, today, nearly 88% of the cotton cultivated is Monsanto's Bollgard cotton/Bt cotton.
GM seeds are produced with traits like drought/weather resistance, pest resistance, and better shelf life. Manufacturers of these seeds claim that GM crops will favor sustainable farming as they can produce more yield per land with a lesser use of pesticides. Like for example, Monsanto has been selling its Bt Cotton with claims that the cotton variant has resistance to the common pest Bollworm. The protein strain in Bt cotton - soil bacterium 'Bacillus thuringiensis' - produces a range of Bt Toxins that can kill different types of insects that feed on the cotton plant. This was supposed to minimize the use of insecticides/pesticides. By an apparent logic, farmers would be able to save their crops from being infested by pests and spend less on pesticides. But in many countries, after an initial high yield, within about few years, pests started developing resistance to the Bt toxin. This resulted in farmers spending more money on pesticides in addition to the high prices with which they bought the GM seeds, in order to save their crops.
The condition in India was no different. After its foray into the Indian market in the year 1998, Monsanto introduced its GM cotton Bollgard I in the year 2002 and Bollgard II in the year 2006, with approval from the Agricultural Ministry. Monsanto had signed contracts with 28 Indian seed companies to sell and collect royalties for the GM cotton seeds it promoted in India. According to Reuters, Monsanto sold more than 41 million GM cotton seed packets last year, earning royalties of 6.5 billion Indian rupees ($97 million).
While Monsanto's business in India so far has been profitable, Indian cotton farmers in many regions, after some initial high yielding crop seasons, started facing the problem of severe pest resistance. Clearly, the Bt cotton couldn't offer them what it promised. The unexpected rise in input costs on pesticides (in addition to high seed costs) led many farmers to seek unsecured loans. Further, owing to conditions like soil erosion due to prolonged use of pesticides and subsequent drought years, many cotton farmers suffered repeated crop failure.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau, 12,360 farmers committed suicide in India in the year 2014. The highest number of farmer suicide cases were reported in the year 2004 with 18,241 lives lost. Though farmer suicides are attributed to an aggregate of socio-economic problems faced by the farmers, numbers particularly of cotton farmers, over the last 18 years point to the failure of GM cotton/ Bt Cotton. But Monsanto is still in a denial mode.
GMCs have both stories of high yield, also of failures. But they only point to their commercial outcome. Issues like intellectual property rights, royalties, and seed monopoly that threaten self-reliance of the farmers, and larger issues like the long-term impact of GM crops on human health and the environment, and how genetic re-engineering might affect co-evolution of species, which are in a natural evolutionary cycle, still remain unanswered. Incidentally, 39 countries in the world, including many European nations have a ban on GM crops.