NEWS: ‘Stop GM mustard, give 120 days for feedback’

Rosamma Thomas| TNN | Sep 22, 2016, 06.10 PM IST

JAIPUR: Several eminent citizens, among them winners of the Padma Shri awards, retired Admiral Ramdas, former Union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss, Medha Patkar of the National Alliance of People's Movements, Aruna Roy, Shankar Singh and Nikhil Dey of the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sanghatan pleaded with the government to extend the time offered for public feedback on the move to allow commercial cultivation of GM mustard for 120 days after the biosafety dossier is placed in the public domain.



The letter, to Union environment minister Anil Dave, expresses alarm that biosafety clearance has been granted to three GMOs of mustard. "It is apparent from even a preliminary perusal of the matter that neither benefit assessment nor risk assessment has been taken up comprehensively and thoroughly by the regulators," the signatories say.

"The adverse impacts of herbicide tolerant crops including greater agri-chemical usage, more chemical residues in our food and environment, adverse impacts of both GM crop and the linked chemical usage on our health and environment, entrapping farmers in a seed and chemicals market trap, creation of super-weeds etc are well documented," the letter says.

The signatories note that the claims of enhanced yield in GM mustard are unfounded. Besides, there are other means by which oilseeds production can be increased without using transgenic technology, the letter writers assert, adding that risk assessment of the GM varieties has not been done comprehensively.

"Why is the government ready to dabble with a hazardous unneeded technology when there are other solutions that are farmer-controlled, safe, sustainable and affordable," writes Kavitha Kuruganti of the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture, the lead signatory.

Kuruganti also points out that there is a PIL in the Supreme Court in the matter, and an order is still awaited. The letter writers have asked the government to extend the time offered to the public for feedback to 120 days, and also make it easier to offer such feedback. Besides, the biosafety dossier in the matter had not been placed in the public domain when the earlier announcement of a 30-day window for public feedback was announced.

SOURCE : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Stop-GM-mustard-give-120-days-for-feedback/articleshow/54465824.cms

NEWS : GEAC defers call on GM Mustard, Javadekar says, 'not imposing decisions'

 

Anti-GM crops protesters meet Union minister Prakash Javadekar to convey their reservations against GM Mustard Courtesy: special arrangement

 

Nikhil M Ghanekar | Sat, 6 Feb 2016-07:15am , New Delhi , dna GEAC's meeting and Javadekar's clarification on Friday came in the backdrop of mounting pressure from farmer organisations, political parties and activists who have alleged that the environment ministry is conducting its business on GM Mustard 'secretively'.

   

On Friday, the genetic engineering approval committee (GEAC) of the union environment ministry deferred its decision to recommend a proposal to commercialise cultivation of genetically modified (GM) Mustard as it sought additional information related to field trials. The GEAC is the country's apex body for approving GM crops and organisms. After the meeting concluded, union environment minister Prakash Javadekar sought to assure people that his ministry is not "rushing into any decision" neither will it "impose decisions without wide consultations."

GEAC's meeting and Javadekar's clarification on Friday came in the backdrop of mounting pressure from farmer organisations, political parties and activists who have alleged that the environment ministry is conducting its business on GM Mustard 'secretively'. The Coalition for GM Free India, a loose collective of anti-GM organisations have alleged that Supreme Court laid norms and bio safety norms have not been followed while conducting field trials of GM Mustard. The Union environment ministry in fact turned down several RTI applications that sought information on GM Mustard's bio safety.

As the GEAC got underway on Friday, members of Bhartiya Kisan Union, Kheti Virasat Mission and Kudrati Kheti Abhiyan protested outside the environment ministry. When they refused to budge, Hem Pande, additional secretary of the ministry stepped outside the ministry building and requested the protesters to convey their grievances to Prakash Javadekar. A group of five, including Aam Aadmi Party minister Kapil Mishra, met Javadekar to convey their reservations against GM Mustard commercialization and also submitted 41,000 signatures collected during a change.org petition against GM Mustard.

"The meeting went on for 20 minutes and we informed Javadekar that fundamental changes are needed in regulation of GM crops and organisms. Every application needs to be handled with specific inputs on requirements for GM crops and alternatives available. Also, a representation from health ministry should be mandatory," said Kavita Kuruganti, convenor, Coalition of GM Free India.
Speaking on the allegations and protests against GM Mustard, Prakash Javadekar said, "First of all, there is a misunderstanding that GM Mustard will be recommended today (Friday) for commercialisation. There has been eight years of research and they have sought permission. But we have not given any such permission today, we have sought information and there is also a legal matter in the Supreme Court. We will give our reply to SC in 15 days. We don't want to stop science but, we don't want to impose without wide consultation. At any cost, public health will be top priority."

When dna asked Javadekar on the ministry's decision to not upload minutes of GEAC meetings against orders of the Central Information Commission, he said, "Let me make it clear that the meetings of either GEAC or EAC or any other committees are not like a cricket match with running commentary. Whatever is legally required we will follow. We are following on all rules and regulations."

The GM mustard crop in India has been developed by Delhi University's Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants. The research on the transgenic is headed by Dr Deepak Pental, the director of the Centre and ex-vice chancellor of Delhi University. The GM Mustard crop being pushed for commercialisation is named Dhara mustard hybrid (DMH 11) and has been developed with funding from Department of Biotechnology and National Dairy Development Board. Pental and his team claim that the GM mustard will increase yield by "20-25 per cent" and help in bringing down imports of edible oil.

SOURCE : http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-geac-defers-call-on-gm-mustard-javadekar-says-not-imposing-decisions-2174399

 

NEWS : GEAC to hold second meeting on GM mustard tomorrow

Press Trust of India  |  New Delhi February 4, 2016 Last Updated at 20:48 IS T   
Biotechnology regulator GEAC is holding a second meeting tomorrow to discuss the much-debated genetically modified (GM) mustard seed issue despite strong opposition. 

The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) had met once last month to hear views of the technology developer Deepak Pental, a scientist at the DelhiUniversity. Later, a sub-panel of GEAC had met on February 2 on the matter. 

The Environment Ministry has received a proposal for commercial cultivation of a GM hybrid variety of the mustard plant developed by the university's Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants (CGMCP). 

"The second meeting of GEAC is scheduled for tomorrow. The meeting will listen to the views of the sub-committee on the GM mustard proposal," sources said. 

Anti-GM farmer union bodies, including Bhartiya Kisan Sangh (BKS), have been demanding to cancel such meetings on the issue. 

"Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar is allowing GEAC to hold its meeting to process the GM mustard application on Friday (February 5). It makes us wonder what and wherefrom the need and pressure are emerging from," said a joint statement issued by 13 farmer unions yesterday. 

They had said the meeting has been scheduled despite opposition to the GM mustard from major crop-growing states, including BJP-rules ones. 

Besides the farmers' unions, there is stiff opposition from NGOs against GM mustard, which is seen to jeopardise traditional varieties and leave farmers dependent solely on private companies for such seeds. 

Former Union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss and several farmer groups such as Bhartiya Kisan Union, Bhartiya Kisan Sangh and the Right to Food Campaign have made representations to the government opposing GM mustard. 

Biotechnology industry body ABLE-AG is of the view that the regulator, GEAC, should at least be allowed to do a scientific review of the technology before firming up its mind. 

According to ABLE-AG, GM mustard -- which has the potential of increasing yield by 25 per cent -- is required in India as the country is still dependent on edible oil imports. India's rapeseed-mustard seed production stood at 63.09 lakh tonnes in 2014-15 crop year (July-June). 

This is the first proposal that has come up before the NDA government after the previous government had put a moratorium on commercial cultivation of Bt Brinjal in 2010. Currently, Bt cotton is the only GM crop allowed for commercialisation.
SOURCE:http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/geac-to-hold-second-meeting-on-gm-mustard-tomorrow-116020401351_1.html