The Hindu Business Line : Cost factor limiting GM cotton adoption: Study

THOUGH the use of genetically-modified (GM) cotton varieties is expanding in many countries, the relatively slower adoption of such varieties in some regions indicates that there may be costs and consequences that limit the usefulness of GM varieties in those regions.

An additional study to evaluate the potential consequences of using genetic engineering in cotton, including costs for seeds and technology, the potential for gene transfer, likely development of resistance and environmental impact, has been initiated by the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC). The report will be presented at the plenary meeting of the global cotton community to be held from November 29 in Mumbai.

There is an emerging scientific consensus that biotech cotton varieties are safe and economical for farmers in areas where target pests are a major threat to cotton production, the ICAC said, adding that the current generation of biotech cotton varieties provide insect resistance and herbicide tolerance, but there was potential for improvement in product quality, higher yields, lower costs and improved sustainability of production systems.

Biotech cotton varieties account for over a fifth of world cotton area and an estimated 30 per cent of world cotton production in 2003-04. About a third of cotton traded in the international market is said to be GM. Nine countries, including the US, China, Australia, Argentina, South Africa and India, cultivate GM cotton varieties.

In a related development, the Biotechnology Industry Organisation (BIO) in a statement on the National Academy of Sciences' report on modified foods said crops improved through biotechnology are not inherently hazardous. It said that food safety evaluations should be based on the resulting food product, not the technique used to create it, and that genetic modification applies to a wide variety of breeding techniques, from traditional cross-breeding to chemical radiation to transfer of genes for important traits.

In an indirect reference to the European Union's stand on biotech crops, the statement said that while setting future course of regulation, the goal should be to reinforce the fundamental principles of existing regulation, which is that all regulations are science-based, that they focus on properties of the transferred gene, and that the level of regulation is based on the level of risk to public health.

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