Government of India does not maintain database on the status of genetically modified seeds in food crops approved for commercial use in different countries. According to Bio Track database of Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and database at Biosafety Clearing House (BCH) of UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), GM crops have been approved for use in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Canada, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, European Union, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Paraguay, Philippines, Russia, South Africa, USA and Uruguay. According to the 2009 report of International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Application (ISAAA), countries like Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Egypt, Honduras, Portugal, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Spain are also known to have approved GM crops for commercial use.

Each country has its own legal regulatory framework for elaborate food and environmental safety assessment of GM crops before commercial use. As per international practices, some countries consider food safety data generated in another country to save cost and time. According to information received from the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, Philippines has considered for their approval process, the food/feed safety data of insect resistant brinjal (Bt brinjal) particularly on the toxicology and allergenicity aspects generated in India as available with the Genetically Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC).

The Government of India has taken a decision to impose moratorium only on commercial cultivation of Bt brinjal. Research and biosafety assessment of many other crops is in pipeline. Since the regulatory framework of GM crops is country specific, the decision taken in one country has no impact on the decision taken in other country.

This was stated by Shri Prithviraj Chavan, the Union Minister of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences in the Rajya Sabha today.

Source : Press Information Bureau
Date : April 15, 2010