M.S. Swaminathan calls GM crops a failure, Centre’s adviser faults paper-Genetically engineered Bt cotton has failed to provide livelihood security for farmers, says article

• A research paper co-authored by leading agriculture scientist M.S. Swaminathan, which describes Bt cotton as a ‘failure,’ was criticised by India’s Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA), K. VijayRaghavan as ‘deeply flawed’.
• The paper, ‘Modern Technologies for Sustainable Food and Nutrition Security’, appears in the latest issue of the peer-reviewed journal Current Science.
• The article is a review of crop development in India and transgenic crops — particularly Bt cotton, the stalled Bt brinjal as well as DMH-11, a transgenic mustard hybrid.
• The precautionary principle (PP) has been done away with and no science-based and rigorous bio-safety protocols and evaluation of GM crops are in place.
• The piece also raises questions on the genetic engineering technology itself on the grounds that it raises the cost of sowing.

       ‘Last resort’

• Prof. Swaminathan, credited with leading India’s Green Revolution, has in recent years advocated ‘sustainable agriculture’ and said the government should only use genetic engineering as a last resort.

The Hindu