The voices against Bt Brinjal are steadily growing louder and Martyrs’ Day saw a country wide protest against the move to introduce GM foods. The protest against Bt Brinjal in India has now became a global issue and getting a global attention since the country tries to find out the benefits and harmful effects of genetically modified variant.
What are GM and Bt foods?
GM stands for genetically modified. This is done by the scientists through tweaking in the genetic code – DNA, in plants of certain crops. The main purpose of such tweaking is to develop desired qualities like pest resistance or higher nutritional content. So, these types of crops are known as GM or engineered crops and the food products made from such crops are known as GM foods or Genetically modified foods. An example for GM food is Corn flakes made from GM maize.
Bt is actually derived from a soil bacterium called Bacillus Thuriengiensis. Bt is a particular type of GM foods. The examples for Bt food is Bt Brinjal and Bt cotton. Bt has a gene that directs the production of a protein, which is toxic to certain larvae (bugs). These bugs are called bollworms and fruit and shoot borers. These bugs are the main destroyers of Brinjal.
How the genetic modification is done in Brinjal to make it Bt Brinjal?
Introducing a bacterial gene into a brinjal DNA is almost impossible naturally but these modifications are done by genetic scientists in DNA structure. They can find out which gene is performing what function. Research has showed that Bt has a gene that directs the production of protein, which is toxic to bollworms and fruit and shoot borers. This gene was taken out of the bacteria and introduced into the Brinjal plant’s DNA and this genetically modified cell is allowed to grow into a plant and its seeds contain the code for pest resistance.It kills Bollworms when they start eating the plants grown from these seeds and there by saving the crop.
What are controversial aspects of Bt Brinjal?
Some studies have shown that bollworms are developing resistance to the toxin released by the inserted gene. The other controversy is that when the bollworms and borers are resisted, the plant gets vigorously attacked by other insects like japhids, aphids and mirids, which suck juices rather than eat up the material. In India, these suspicions were heightened by the initial experience of Bt cotton and the initial hybridisation done by Mahyco and its franchisees was not suitable for Indian conditions and during 2002-2004 large crop failures were reported in Maharashtra, Andhra and other parts. These areas also witnessed a rising number of farmers’ suicides due to indebtedness, the reports were linked to the use of GM crops.
Is it safe to use GM foods?
Apart from productivity related issues, the health effects and the environmental consequences are the major concerns related with the use of GM foods. They are routinely tested for direct harmful health effects like toxicity, causing allergies, gene transfer to body cells or bacteria residing in the intestinal wall. Although no direct evidences has come up of GM foods causing toxic or allergy effects, but some cases of gene transfer have been found.
The environmental concern is that the inserted gene is going wild and getting transferred to other plants in nature. No chronic effects have yet been documented but alert has been given in the use of GM crops.
If Bt Brinjal is released, 10 more crops are in the pipeline like rice, potato, tomato, corn, ground nut, mustard, cabbage, cauliflower, pigeon pea and okra (lady’s finger).
Let’s hope for our good health.
