A group of internationally acclaimed scientists has urged Bangladesh government not to introduce genetically modified (GM) Brinjal in Bangladesh saying that it would result in ‘unprecedented health hazard’ for the people of the country. The scientists led by professor David Schubert of the SALK Institute of San Diego, California, considered one of the best scientific research institute of the world, in a letter to prime minister Sheikh Hasina, said that they were deeply concerned with the fact that the government was planning to introduce the genetically modified Brinjal without having ‘adequate safety test’.
They also wondered why the government was going to introduce genetically modified variety in a country where Brinjal is not ‘threatened by an overwhelming insect infection.
They said that the introduction would also have an environmental risk as Brinjal is native to Bangladesh and the GM genes would unquestionably contaminate and degrade the native brinjal population.
They also argued that the GM brinjal would raise the production cost as the farmers would have to depend on the imported seeds, and at one stage the seed bank of the local variety would be destroyed.
Once a company controls the seed market of any single food plant, seed for more GM plants will follow, and the company would have tremendous power over the farmers which constitute major segment of the populations well as the political process.
They have pointed out that already India and Philippines have postponed the idea of introducing the GM brinjal.
The other scientists who signed the letter are professor Michael Antoniu of gene expression and therapy group at King’s college London School of Medicine, professor Susan Bardoczu of human nutrition and GMO expert of the rural development of Hungary, former founder director of centre for cellular and molecular biology in Hyderabad Pushpa M Bhargava, Australian scientist Judy Carman, professor Jack A Heinemann of the centre for integrated research in bio-safety at university of Canterbury, world food prize laureate professor Hans R Herren, senior Swiss scientist Angelika Hilbeck, senior lecturer at Auckland university Robert Mann, protein chemist, professor Arpad Pusztai, and professor Gilles Eric Seralini from France.
The government is planning to introduce four varieties of genetically modified brinjals in the country containing the Bt gene owned by the controversial American seed giant Monsanto.
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 significantly as they are resistant to the most common brinjal pest Fruit and Shoot Borer (FSB) that is thought to be liable for 50-70 per cent damage to brinjals.