Science community pushing for GMOs in India

A scientific and seed industry meeting about the need for India to approve the production of GMO crops was recently organized by one of the country’s biotechnology companies, Amar Immunodiagnostics.

Academic scientists from research universities and seed industry within India met to discuss current issues related to approval of GMOs in India. The basic contention from the meeting was that the “country faces an agrarian crisis, it is necessary that we empower our farmers with the best technology available in the world.”

Reports from the meeting noted the increasing number of countries of the world that are growing genetically modified crops and making progress toward approval for many more GMO crops being grown. Different speakers lead discussion about how regulatory trials have already been completed for some GMO crops, but they aren’t approved for production, and how GMO foods have proven to be safe without any health incidents. In general, the benefits of biotechnology in crop production was highlighted.

There was an appeal for federal regulators to resume consideration of applications from the agri biotech industry that field trials be approved for crops during the coming Kharif (monsoon) summer season.