India 'to approve GM potato'

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2980338.stm

 

India 'to approve GM potato'

 

 

By Pallab Ghosh

BBC science correspondent in Delhi

The commercial growing of a genetically modified potato which contains nutrients

lacking in the diets of many of the poorest is expected to be approved in India

within six months.

 

 

The influential head of the Indian Government's Department of Biotechnology, Dr

Manju Sharma, said the potato would be given free to millions of poor children

at government schools to try to reduce the problem of malnutrition in the

country.

 

 

We see this as a technology for the future

Dr Balvinder Singh Khalsi

The potato contains a third more protein than normal, including essential

high-quality nutrients, and has been created by adding a gene from the

protein-rich amaranth plant.

But critics describe the plan as risky, naive and a propaganda tool to promote

the merits of GM food in India.

'Technology for the future'

The " protato " , as it has become known, is in its final stages of regulatory

approval which Dr Sharma said she was very confident of getting.

 

 

What this country needs...is pulses. The pulses contain 20-26% proteins... this

potato has 2.5% protein. Please tell me which one is better

Dr Devinder Sharma

She plans to incorporate it into the government's free midday meal programme in

schools.

" There has been a serious concern that malnutrition is one of the reasons for

the blindness, the vitamin A deficiency, the protein deficiency, " Dr Sharma told

the BBC.

" So it is really a very important global concern, particularly in the developing

world, " she added.

One of India's leading industrialists in biotechnology, Dr Balvinder Singh

Khalsi, chief executive of Dupont, said the project had enormous potential for

the country.

" We see this as a technology for the future, because the real need for India is

to feed its growing population. This technology is really going to the benefit

of improving the yields, better quality food, larger quantity, " Dr Khalsi said.

He pointed to last year's controversial introduction of GM cotton, known as Bt

cotton, saying that " the Bt craze has caught up " with Indian farmers very

quickly.

" Once [GM technology] is introduced into other crops, and the people start

seeing the values of it, we believe the technology will be accepted by the

farmers and the growing population, " Dr Khalsi said.

'No sense'

But critics such as Dr Devinder Sharma dismiss the potato project as a mere

propaganda campaign to promote GM food in India.

 

 

" What this country needs and which it has in abundance is pulses. Now the pulses

contain 20-26% proteins. This potato they talk about has 2.5% protein. Please

tell me which one is better, " he says.

Some environmental campaigners also say biotechnology companies may have

overstated the case for GM crops.

" The potential for the technology has to be assessed in terms of what is being

offered and are there alternatives? " environmental campaigner Vandana Shiva

says.

" If it's the only way to get to a certain place, then sure. But if I can control

weeds by doing mixed farming... it makes no sense to permanently introduce

genes, to introduce toxins into my biodiversity, allow contamination of related

crops, " Mrs Shiva says.

The team that created the " protato " says it now plans to use genetic engineering

to develop cereals, fruits and other vegetables rich in protein.

It hopes this new generation of crops will sell the benefits of GM to a wary

public.

 

 

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/sci/tech/2980338.stm

 

Published: 2003/06/11 11:05:31 GMT

 

© BBC MMIII

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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