Until now, private companies have been opposed to disclosing details of field trials on grounds that it is confidential information. Now they will have to make public all findings of their field trials with regard to GM food crops like okra, corn, mustard, rice, etc

In a move that is likely to bring about greater transparency in field trials of genetically modified (GM) crops, the Supreme Court, on April 8, 2008, directed the Union government to display all data on the toxicity and allergenicity of GM crops on the website of the Genetic Engineering Advisory Committee (GEAC), the regulatory body under the Ministry of Environment and Forests.

Private companies have been opposed to disclosing details of their field trials on grounds that it is confidential information. Now they will have to make public all findings of their field trials with regard to GM food crops like okra, corn, mustard, rice, etc, which they have been allowed to cultivate. The order asked the government to post the relevant material on the web so that independent experts are able to examine it.

“The GEAC should disclose the information related to genetically modified crops that have been passed by the committee,” a Bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice R V Raveendran said.

The court also asked the government to ensure proper regulation whilst undertaking trials of GM crops. It asked the GEAC to carry out research and prepare a report on the minimum distance required between GM crops and other crops. According to an earlier court order, the distance or buffer zone, has been fixed at 200 metres. This distance is based on the GEAC’s recommendation for genetically modified rice.

Earlier, in April 2007, the Central Information Commission (CIC) that oversees the Right to Information Act, directed the department of biotechnology to disclose data generated from tests carried out on GM crops, in response to a petition filed by Greenpeace India.

Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company Ltd (Mahyco), the seed partner of multinational agro-biotech major Monsanto Corporation, had moved the court against the CIC order.

Suman Sahai, convener of Gene Campaign, said the Supreme Court order was a breakthrough in the campaign for bio-safety regulation in India. “At a time when almost every other country, including the US, is revising regulations on GM products, the Government of India has not responded to persistent demands for an overhaul of the regulatory mechanism. The existing protocol for safety tests and impact monitoring in India is extremely inadequate despite growing scientific evidence of the impact of GM foods on public health,” Sahai said.

Source: The Hindu, April 13, 2008
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