GM mustard moves closer to approval in India
According to Science magazine, India’s top biotechnology regulator has declared a transgenic mustard plant “safe for consumption.”
According to Science magazine, India’s top biotechnology regulator has declared a transgenic mustard plant “safe for consumption.” Moving the plant into farmers’ fields is now a political decision in the hands of India’s environment minister, who may wait until the Supreme Court of India resolves several long-pending related cases.
The GM mustard has been under development for almost a decade. A report assessing the plant’s risks was released a year ago, drawing more than 750 comments that were reviewed by the Ministry of Environment’s Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC). The report concluded the mustard was safe and nutritious, and GEAC chair Amita Prasad in New Delhi said the commission unanimously agreed on May 11 to recommend allowing farmers to plant the crop for the next four years. The final decision will be made by Environment Minister Anil Dave.
If approved, Dhara Mustard Hybrid-11 (DMH-11) will be the second GM plant—but the first food crop—to reach India’s farmers. In 2004, India allowed commercial cultivation of GM cotton and it now accounts for more than 90% of the nation’s harvest.