GEAC admits laxity in GM crops field trials.

July 2, 2006

(Source : GM Watch) GEAC wants varsities to supervise on GM crop trialsASHOK B SHARMAFinancial Express, July 01 2006http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=132440NEW DELHI, JUNE 30: The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) on Friday decided to involve the state agriculture universities in bio-safety studies and field trials of transgenic crops. It deferred the decision on the proposal submitted by Mahyco asking permission for large scale multi-locational field trials of Bt Brinjal.GEAC also deliberated on report submitted by the CD Mayee panel on Bt cotton and related issues. Mayee is at present the chairman of Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board (ASRB) and is also the co-chairman of GEAC.NGOs had

complained about large-scale violations of biosafety norms in the field trials. The GEAC has taken up this issue seriously and asked the Mayee panel to suggest measures for strengthening biosafety norms, said Desh Deepak Verma of GEAC.Farmers' organisations and NGOs had also cited reported cases of mortality in sheeps grazing over Bt cotton fields in Warangal district in Andhra Pradesh. In this, context, GEAC has asked the promoter agency for transgenic crops, department of biotechnology to investigate the causes of such deaths. It has also asked the Andhra Pradesh government to send factual reports on this situation.GEAC has admitted that it has not conducted enough toxicity studies. It said that it would conduct toxicity studies on Bt cotton leaves. The proposed largescale field trials of four Bt brinjal hybrids developed by Mahyco is now held up. The NGOs had also alleged, quoting scientific evidences, that

Bt brinjal may prove to be hazardous to health and environment.--- "Our ideal is not the spirituality that withdraws from life but the conquest of life by the power of the spirit." - Aurobindo.

Talk is cheap. Use Messenger to make PC-to-Phone calls. Great rates starting at 1¢/min.