In a momentous victory for grassroots groups and small farmers across India, the government has put an indefinite moratorium on commercial cultivation of the genetically-modified Bt brinjal, or eggplant.
The new variety of eggplant has been genetically engineered to contain the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) bacterium, designed to make the crop insect-resistant. However, safety tests of the new strain have only been carried out by the developers of the seeds themselves, so questions remain about the long-term environmental and heath impacts of this modified plant. What’s more, commercial cultivation of Bt brinjal would put the food supply largely in the hands of the corporations that produce the seeds, not to mention the risk of significant biodiversity loss of the organic eggplant variety.
For more about the harmful implications of unsustainable agriculture and the state of farming in India, read this Greengrants article: “Organic Farming Saves Lives and Land”
Greengrants grantees Thanal and Development Research Communication and Services Centre recognized the importance of rallying communities against the proposed GM crop. Over the last several months, these organizations, along with dozens of other NGOs and civil society groups, actively led protests against the Bt brinjal in their own regions. Another grantee, the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture coordinated a national anti-Bt protest, alerting the government to the widespread opposition of the Indian people. Clearly, their voices resonated with government officials, as the Environment Minister recommended the moratorium on February 9th. Photos of this remarkable grassroots activism against Bt brinjal can be seen here.
“We are celebrating the Environmental Minister’s decision,” remarked Ardhendu Chatterjee, an Advisor on the Greengrants India Board. “However, we are aware that there will be many more battles in the days to come.”
India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced yesterday that he would uphold the moratorium, despite ardent opposition from other government ministers, citing the need for a ‘cautious approach’ to what would be the first GM vegetable produced in India.