The government is on its way to release four varieties of genetically modified brinjals in the country containing the Bt gene owned by the controversial American seed giant Monsanto.
Environmental activists have raised concerns of biological and health hazards that may be caused by these genetically modified plants.
Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (Bari) developed the varieties — Bt Uttara, Bt Kajla, Bt Noyontara and Bt Isd 006 — from local varieties by inserting the Bt gene.
The gene, named Crystal Protein Gene (Cry1Ac), taken from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis popularly known as Bt, is patented by Monsanto.
Bari claims that the Bt varieties will reduce the use of pesticides remarkably as they are resistant to the most common brinjal pest Fruit and Shoot Borer (FSB) that is thought to be liable for 50-70% damage to brinjals.
“These varieties will reduce the use of pesticide in fields and will thus help to produce more healthy vegetables,” said Md Rafiqul Islam Mondol, director general of Bari, adding that it would also reduce the cost of production.
Environmental activists expressed their concern that it would affect biodiversity and also cause severe health hazards to humans, animals and plants.
Farida Parvin, executive director of Ubinig (Policy Research for Development Alternative), said these genetically modified brinjals should not be released without having any studies on human and animal health as it is a trans-genetic issue.
Bari developed the Bt brinjal varieties after seven years of experiments since 2006 with the technical support of Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company (Mahyco) in which the American seed giant Monsanto has 26% stake.
Mahyco’s brinjal varieties, developed with the financial support of USAID, were banned in India in 2010 after their harmful effects were exposed.
Rafiqul Islam Mondol told the Dhaka tribune that the Bari has already cultivated the Bt brinjals in their fields located at Joydevpur, Rangpur, Ishwardi, Jamalpur, Jessore and Hathajari of Chittagong.
Bari sent their application last week to the National Technical Committee for Crop Biotechnology.
After the committee’s review it will go to the environment ministry which will look into the environmental and biodiversity aspects. After getting the ministry’s clearance, the agriculture ministry will start demonstrating the varieties to farmers.
Farida Parvin expressed her outrage that Bari had done the experimental cultivation of Bt brinjal in open fields.
“Such GM (genetically modified) experiments in open fields should never be done. It could have devastating impacts on other indigenous brinjal and crop varieties through pollination,” she added.
She said experimental cultivation of Bt brinjals in open fields was a clear violation of the existing Genetic Engineering Policy.
When asked about possible negative impacts of Bt brinjals on human health, the Bari director general said they had not found any harmful impacts on mammals like rats and monkeys, during their laboratory tests.
Studies across the world have reported health and biodiversity hazards caused by genetically modified crops.
One test, titled the Safety Testing Guideline for Genetically Modified Organisms conducted by the University of Canterbury, New Zealand said in its recommendations, “There is accumulating evidence of potential adverse effects of GM plants producing Cry proteins, and there is documented peer-reviewed evidence that feeding trials that regulators have been relying upon were inappropriately designed to reduce uncertainty about the safety of using these crops as food.”
“There has been no published testing using cooked and processed ingredients made from Bt plants and prepared, as humans and not farm animals would eat them. While the developer heated and cooked Bt brinjal, it only tested for presence of the Cry protein using undisclosed reagents with unverified sensitivity and effectiveness, which is not the same as testing for adverse effects,” the report also said.
According to Bangladesh Agriculture Research Council (Barc), brinjal is cultivated in 64,208 hectares of land in the country, producing 381,420 tons annually.
One of the big concerns of environmentalists on introducing GM crops in the country is that poor farmers will be forced to buy seeds from multinationals, once the Bt brinjals get approval.
The Bari head said Bari itself will produce the seed of Bt brinjals which will be distributed among farmers through government channels like the Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation.
In addition to India and Bangladesh, the same group earlier developed genetically modified brinjal varieties in Philippines which was stalled by court order, considering its health hazards.
