Golden Rice, a GM crop. (Source: IRRI Photos/flickr)
A report released on Wednesday showed that the global acreage of genetically modified (GM) crops declined by 1% in 2015, the first decrease since they became commercially available in 1996. Although consumers and activists stand against GM crops in many countries, their opposition did not cause the downturn. Rather, low commodity prices led farmers to plant less corn, soybeans, and canola of all types, GM and conventional.
India’s major GM crop is cotton, which is not as controversial because it is not food. However, India is on the frontlines of the global debate over GM crops. Despite objections from many groups, the country’s environment ministry has cleared 40 out of 51 proposed GM crop field trials since the current government took office in May 2014. Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar has saidthat research and confined field trials for generating biosafety data with all due precautions should be allowed to continue in the national interest.
But on April 1 the Central Information Commission ordered the environment ministry to…
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