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GM cotton: whitefly attack raises anxiety among farmers
- The ineffectiveness of genetically modified (GM) cotton against the recent whitefly attack in Punjab and Haryana, which witnessed widespread protests by farmers.
- The whitefly attack in Punjab that damaged over 75 per cent crop across the cotton belt.
- This has raised concern among agricultural experts and farmers over the growing dependency on Bt cotton.
- Analysts believe it is time for India to actively promote and involve public-private partnership (PPP) model in GM crop technology and also focus on developing new technologies to fight pest infestation on cotton and other crops.
Bt cotton
- Strains of the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis produce over 200 different Bt toxins, each harmful to different insects.
- Most notably, Bt toxins are insecticidal to the larvae of moths and butterflies, beetles, cotton bollworms and ghtu flies but are harmless to other forms of life. (this is why Bt cotton failed against whitefly)
Genetically Modified Organism (GMO)
- Also known as a transgenic organism (containing genetic material into which DNA from a different organism has been artificially introduced).
- In GMO, genetic material is altered using genetic engineering techniques.
- Genetic modification involves the mutation, insertion, or deletion of genes.
- Inserted genes usually come from a different species in a form of horizontal gene-transfer. (In Bt cotton seeds contain Bt genes from bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis)
Uses
- GMOs are used in biological and medical research, production of pharmaceutical drugs, experimental medicine (e.g. gene therapy), and agriculture (e.g. golden rice, Bt cotton etc.).
- Genetically modified bacteria are used to produce the protein insulin to treat diabetes.
- Similar bacteria have been used to produce biofuels, clotting factors to treat hemophilia (medical condition in which the ability of the blood to clot is severely reduced, causing severe bleeding from even a slight injury), and human growth hormone to treat various forms of dwarfism.
- In addition, various genetically engineered micro-organisms are routinely used as sources of enzymes for the manufacture of a variety of processed foods.
Genetically modified crops
- Genetically modified crops (GM crops, or biotech crops) are plants used in agriculture, the DNA of which has been modified using genetic engineering techniques.
- In most cases the aim is to introduce a new trait to the plant which does not occur naturally in the species.
- Examples in food crops include resistance to certain pests, diseases, or environmental conditions, reduction of spoilage, or resistance to chemical treatments (e.g. resistance to an herbicide), or improving the nutrient profile of the crop.
Genetically modified food controversies
- Genetically modified food controversies are disputes over the use of foods and other goods derived from genetically modified crops instead of conventional crops, and other uses of genetic engineering in food production.
- The key areas of controversy related to genetically modified food (GMO food) are
- whether such food should be labeled,
- the role of government regulators,
- the objectivity of scientific research and publication,
- the effect of genetically modified crops on health and the environment,
- the effect on pesticide resistance,
- the impact of such crops for farmers, and
- The role of the crops in feeding the world population.
- Scientists tend to be more concerned about the potential for genetically modified organisms to cause ecological damage.
Golden rice
- Golden rice is a variety of rice (Oryza sativa) produced through genetic engineering to biosynthesize beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A, in the edible parts of rice.
- It is mostly consumed in areas with a shortage of dietary vitamin A.
Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission
- Also known as the National Solar Mission
- To promote ecologically sustainable growth while addressing India’s energy security challenges.
- Major contribution by India to the global effort to meet the challenges of climate change.
- One of the several initiatives that are part of National Action Plan on Climate Change.
- The program was inaugurated in 2010.
- Initial target was 20GW by 2022 and it was increased to 100 GW in 2015 Union budget.
- Long term goal: Global leader in solar energy; maximum in energy production.
- Immediate goal: Setting up an enabling environment for solar technology penetration in the country.
Targets are set for three phases
- First phase 2010-13
- Second phase 2013–17
- Third Phase 2017–22
- At each stage progress will be reviewed and roadmap for future targets will be adopted.
- Total target of 100,000 MW by 2022.
- MNRE has proposed to achieve it through 40,000 MW through Rooftop Solar Projects and 60,000 MW through Large and Medium Scale solar projects.
Domestic content controversy
- Guidelines for the solar mission mandated cells and modules for solar PV projects based on crystalline silicon to be manufactured in India.
- This accounts to over 60% of total system costs.
- For solar thermal, guidelines mandated 30% project to have domestic content.
- A vigorous controversy emerged between power project developers and solar PV equipment manufacturers.
- The former camp prefers to source modules by accessing highly competitive global market to attain flexible pricing, better quality, predictable delivery and use of latest technologies.
- The latter camp prefers a controlled/planned environment to force developers to purchase modules from a small, albeit growing, group of module manufacturers in India.
- Manufacturers want to avoid competition with global players and are lobbying the government to incentivize growth of local industry.
- US Trade Representative has filed a complaint at World Trade Organization challenging India’s domestic content requirements citing discrimination against US exports.
- WTO ruled in favor of USA.
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