Advocacy group urges Govt of India to stand firm against US GM imports in trade deal

By Jag Jivan*

As trade negotiations between India and the United States continue, a prominent advocacy group, the Coalition for a GM-Free India, has voiced strong concerns regarding potential concessions on genetically modified (GM) crops, seeds, and related products. In a letter addressed to Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Shri Piyush Goyal, Rajesh Krishnan, Co-Convenor of the Coalition, has urged the Indian government to resist American pressure and uphold the interests of Indian farmers, consumers, and exporters.

The Coalition specifically highlighted the unreliability of self-certification regimes for GM-free status, particularly from countries like the USA where segregation between GM and non-GM supply chains is not consistently maintained. They recommended that India insist on certification from accredited bodies and implement its own rigorous testing mechanisms at ports of import to prevent the entry of contaminated GM produce.

Furthermore, the letter expressed strong opposition to the potential import of US Alfalfa hay and Distiller's Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS) for animal feed. The Coalition argued that such imports, often heavily subsidized by the US government, would severely undermine domestic animal feed producers in India, leading to market price depression and a detrimental cycle for Indian farmers. Citing a US Department of Agriculture study, the letter pointed out that GM alfalfa in the US has already led to widespread contamination of non-GM varieties and export rejections. Concerns were also raised about the adverse health impacts of GM animal feed on livestock and, consequently, on human health through the food chain, including milk, eggs, and meat products. The Coalition referenced a five-year-old letter to the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) detailing such concerns and cited the Supreme Court's Technical Expert Committee's findings which indicated a lack of conclusive safety data on animals fed GM feed, necessitating further independent studies.

The Coalition for a GM-Free India emphasized that any compromise on India's current GM-free status (with the exception of cotton) through concessions on US GM crop and feed imports would jeopardize India's export markets, particularly those that prioritize non-GM supply chains. "India should firmly reject any terms and conditions that ask the Union Government to bypass domestic regulations, and that seek to compromise our citizens' interests," stated Rajesh Krishnan, Co-Convenor of the Coalition for a GM-Free India. The letter concluded by urging the Indian government to firmly reject any terms that seek to bypass domestic regulations or compromise the interests of its citizens.

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*Freelance writer

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