Biotechnology should not harm bio-diversity: Ramesh

Biotechnology is an “important tool” for ensuring food security but it should be ensured that it does not adversely impact human and animal health and the bio-diversity, parliament was informed Monday.

“There is general agreement within the concerned ministries that biotechnology is an important tool for raising agricultural productivity and ensuring food security,” Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh said during Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha.

“At the same time, it must be ensured that it has no adverse effects on human and animal health and bio-diversity,” he maintained.

He said the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) “has been requested to address the concerns for resolving all scientific issues related to Bt Brinjal”.

He was replying to a question on whether two members and one special invitee of the GEAC had disagreed with the clearance given for commercial production of Bt Brinjal in the country.

Ramesh admitted this was so.

In this context, he noted that “concerns have been expressed that Bt Brinjal would contaminate conventional crops and reduce the genetic diversity of the brinjal crop due to gene flow”.

However, Ramesh said, environmental safety studies done have shown up no adverse effects of Bt Brinjal.

At the same time, he pointed out that based on the views of various stakeholders during the public consultations organised by the ministry, a “moratorium has been imposed on commercialisation of Bt Brinjal until independent scientific studies establish the safety of the product from the point of view of its long-term impact on human health and environment, including the rich genetic wealth of brinjal existing in our country”.