There is hardly any scientific evidence on potential environmental risks. Only the precautionary approaches of selection of crops to be genetically modified and the integrated gene and pest management practices can ease the effects of gene flows to close relatives and the development of pest resistance to pest-protected crops.

In Indian conditions, the non-food crops like horticulture, cash crops etc, which are vital for farmers’ economy, need to be genetically modified, tested and commercially adopted before genetic modifications are tried for food crops. 

Do the benefits of GM crops outweigh possible damaging side effects? Of course, yes. The GM technologies have the potential for “tailor-made food and non-food crops” against biotic and abiotic stresses such as insect, drought, salinity and alkalinity.

It broke the barrier between plant and animal kingdoms by providing a process of recombining the “specialty genes” of different plant and animal species, thereby triumphing over deceleration of food and non-food crops productivity.

In addition, the crops can also be customised to the required nutritional quality. Globally, the area under cultivation with GM crops such as soybean, corn, canola and cotton has shown a remarkable growth since 1996 and is likely to reach 125 million acres at the end of 2001.

Consider the case of cotton, the government has been importing raw cotton (worth of US$270 million in 2000-01) to meet the demand of worlds competitive and ever growing Indian textile and clothing industry.

The Ministry of textile has set the textile and apparel export target to US$50 Billion by 2010 keeping in view the trade opportunities created by the implementation of WTO.

At domestic level, cotton yield is decelerating, even if 48 per cent of total insecticides used in India that is worth almost Rs 2000 crore per year are spread over 9Mha cotton growing area to mitigate the damage caused by Bollworm complex.

The potential loss caused by insects amounts to more than Rs 5000 crore per year. The WHO Hazard list (I) contains most of chemical ingredients used in the manufacturing of cotton insecticides and advocates minimum use of such insecticides.

Only a poor farmer can feel the environmental degradation caused by such insecticides, not the environmentalists. Perhaps, we can not afford the delay, neither on the economic front as huge opportunity cost is involved nor on environmental front while deciding on the GM issue. 

If GM crops were banned, could such a ban be enforced? It is unlikely for two reasons. Enforcing a decision requires certain strength in government machinery, which is not visible. Secondly, the ban itself would be against the spirit of innovation and therefore lacking in moral authority. 

If a ban is imposed but can not be enforced, do we risk getting the side effects without getting the benefits? No, however it would promote unfair corporate practices, unreasonable marketing procedure and illegal sale of banned products as is presently happening in the case of Bt Cotton.

The poor farmers or end users would economically suffer and be the eventual losers. The government regulating agencies should encourage such experiments in the farmers’ fields with a controlled manner and closely monitor developments with a view to influence their cause.