India's NAAS Endorses GM Tech for Accelerated and Sustained Crop Production

The National Academy of Agricultural Sciences has come out with the latest policy paper on Biosafety Assurance for GM Food Crops in India  that contains science-based recommendations and concrete actions for safe, inclusive and judicious harnessing of GM technologies for accelerated and sustained crop production.

Since the moratorium imposed on Bt brinjal in February 2010 by then Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh, national and international literature have been generated on the safety of GM food crops, and six top science academies of India endorsed the safety of Bt brinjal and recommended its limited commercial release in the "Inter-Academy Report on GM Crops" released in Dec 2010. The Inter Academy Report on GM Crops 2011 is available online at http://insaindia.org/pdf/Updated%20Inter%20Academy%20Report%20on%20GM%20crops.pdf

The recent NAAS policy paper critically examines the current biosafety issues and the prospects of benefiting from GM technology. It concludes that GM technology is a powerful tool for developing future crop varieties with in-built resistance to various biotic and abiotic stresses for reducing crop losses and enhanced input use efficiency, yield potential and quality traits. It also states that the use of GM crops is crucial for the food and nutritional security of the country and research must be continued with the aim of developing safer, more productive and nutritious food crops. The policy paper also puts forward a tangible action plan for the development and utilization of GM food crops.

For a copy of the policy paper visit http://naasindia.org/policy.html