Need for Agro-bio security system

Responding to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s call to the scientific community to have a knowledge based intervention in agriculture, the Indian Science Congress (ISC), one of the most powerful scientific lobbies in the nation, has presented a set of recommendations. The proposal includes setting up an agro-bio security system. In lieu of the recent bird flu outbreak, the Science Congress has felt the urgent need to set up a mechanism to minimise the impact of such disasters. The ISC has demanded Rs 100 crore in the upcoming budget for technological development. Apart from this they have also called for setting up a National Biotechnology Regulatory Authority to regulate the use of biotechnology in agriculture.

This demand by the scientists is a welcome in today’s scenario where there is no national body to regulate the upcoming bio-technology companies and new scientific advances. Although India has a Genetic Engineering Approval Committee, it has failed in carrying out its duty. GEAC should emphasise on biological risk assessment. GEAC should regulate genetic technology like the US Recombinant Advisory Committee (RCA) does for genetically engineered drugs. RCA makes it mandatory for companies to provide a list of negative and harmful impacts and minimises that impact before approving for commercial sale. As a result, the approval process takes 25 years. Unfortunately, GM research in India is not being made to evaluate potential harm to human health and environment. In fact the GEAC is known to bend backwards to facilitate the smooth functioning of multinational companies.

The setting up of an agro-bio security system would be a turning point for research in India as it would not just serve as the apex body for regulation but also would help focus on some pressing matters like food production, water conservation, energy generation and building sustainable technologies. Also currently India has no provisions to check on the entry of alien species which can cause disasters. Thanks to the entry of the genetically modified plants and India’s inability to protect their indigenous plants, Indian agriculture has suffered greatly. Close to 1,50,000 plant seeds have been collected by the U.S department of agriculture and this was neither stopped by the Indian government nor by the GEAC. The recent Agricultural Knowledge Initiative signed between India and the U.S also makes traditional agricultural knowledge accessible to the American companies. Further, Trade-related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) allows patents on genes and cell lines, thereby blocking India’s agricultural research leading to what can be termed as scientific discrimination against the developing countries.

If the Indian government accepts this proposal, it certainly would be a turning point. This department would bring under its umbrella other functions like inspecting food grains, animals and other agri-bio related products that enter the Indian market. It would help prevent the outbreak of epidemics like SARS, bird flu which are a direct result of unchecked entry of bird species from other nations. Unlike the developed nations which control the outbreaks at the first instance itself, nations like India, Thailand need to still learn from their mistakes. The economic loss involved in such a large scale outbreak is immense to the nation and avoidable. According to a recent report, the bird flu outbreak cost the poultry sector close to $ 5,84000 in Bangladesh. The mass culling of chickens in West Bengal, which neighbours Bangladesh, is a direct proof of the lack of scrutinising agency.

However, considering India’s economic policies which have always favored the multinational companies, by giving subsidies, tax exemptions or by helping set up Special Economic Zones (often at a heavy human cost), letting mining companies raze through forests and other such instances, the chances of the proper functioning of any such body will remain doubtful and questionable.