‘GEAC bypassing States’ right to take a call on GMO trials’: Activists
Anti-GMO activists have alleged that the Genetic Engineering Evaluation Committee (GEAC), the main central regulator that examines and decides whether or not to permit genetic engineering trials in the country, is undermining states’ right to take a call on these the case.
They claim that GEAC and the Center use various methods to bypass the requirements for companies to obtain NOCs from the respective state governments before moving forward with their trials in those states.
One such trick, they said, is semi-deregulation of two classes of LMOs in their genomes.
In a letter to Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and Agriculture Minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy, they said semi-deregulation (no GEAC approval needed) for GM crops. “Without widespread consultation, or without consideration of a large, compelling body of scientific evidence, the Government of India has gone ahead and scrapped both of these genome-altering crops,” they said in the letter.
They confirmed that these genome-altered crops are Genetically modified crops Also according to the legal definition in the state, and “entail equal risks to the environment and citizens as genetically modified crops.”
GM crops, as well as genome-altered crops, may cause an irreversible and uncontrollable environmental release if allowed to be cultivated either in the form of field experiments or commercial cultivation.
“Such deliberate outdoor release poses many risks of contamination and uncontrolled spread of GMOs, and this is even more so in our country where risk assessment by Government of India regulator GEAC is compromised in several ways.”
“Many state governments have made explicit policy decisions about not allowing any genetically modified (food) crops in their states. Despite opposition, outdoor trials in various states have been approved by the GEAC.
Such approvals are granted in contravention of the political positions of the state governments. GEAC should be required not to approve any outdoor releases of GMOs in states that have a GMO-free policy stance,” they said in the letter.
The letter, signed by Rithu Swarjia Vaidika, cited the example of GM mustard cultivation that took place without NOCs.
“GEAC approved the cultivation of genetically modified mustard in six sites in the spring of 2022, without obtaining no-objection certificates from the concerned state governments. The cultivation took place in some state agricultural universities as well,” the letter said.
They demanded that the Union Government withdraw approval for the environmental release of genetically modified mustard, and asked the Chief Minister to reaffirm its position on the issue. “The state government will not be able to stop the dumping of transgenic mustard seeds across other state borders, even if no licenses are issued by them,” they said.
They also called for a halt to the release of GMOs outdoors in any form. It also asked the government not to compromise the requirement for companies to obtain a no-objection certificate to start trials in the state.