Nobel winner calls fears of foreign control over modified crops 'nonsense'

Nobel laureate Sir Richard John Roberts has dismissed concerns that adopting genetically modified crops would make India dependent on foreign companies, stating that Indian laboratories can develop and own such technology locally. Dr. Roberts delivered this address on Tuesday in New Delhi at the second Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave held at Bharat Mandapam.

Local Research

Rejecting the term genetically modified as misleading, Dr. Roberts referred to the technology as biotechnologically modified and argued that evolution has altered every life form. Addressing fears that American corporations could control seed supply, he called the idea nonsense and explained that anyone can learn to use gene-editing tools like CRISPR in a matter of weeks without relying on Western nations.

Policy And History

India currently permits commercial cultivation of Bt cotton, which Dr. Roberts termed a success, but does not allow any GM food crops. The country's history with GM food includes a 2010 moratorium on Bt brinjal by then-Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh and a 2024 Supreme Court split verdict on GM mustard that asked the Centre to frame a national policy. Critics such as Kavitha Kuruganti from the Coalition for a GM-Free India have argued that yield claims lack backing from developer data and that India needs a biosafety policy instead.

Food Security

Dr. Roberts framed the issue around food and nutritional security, noting that food serves as medicine for people who cannot afford supplements. He stated that Golden Rice is not priced above ordinary rice and that several Indian government institutes hold licences for it, adding that Bt brinjal raised yields in Bangladesh.

Context

Genetically modified crops involve altering an organism's DNA using modern biotechnology to introduce desired traits like pest resistance or higher nutritional value. The debate in India highlights a long-running tension between boosting agricultural productivity and addressing safety, environmental, and regulatory concerns.