Safeguarding national food security is a major goal of agricultural scientists of the National Agricultural Research System (NARS) comprising Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) institutes and the agricultural universities. All possible science-based approaches are used to develop suitable technologies, farming practices and improved crop varieties to ensure enough food production so as to meet the demand of the ever-increasing population. Scientists engaged in developing new varieties in different crops for food and agriculture utilise various approaches, including conventional breeding, molecular breeding and genetic engineering. The new crop varieties are developed with traits such as increased yield, resistance to diseases and insect pests, and tolerance to various environmental stresses like drought, high temperature, salinity, flooding, etc. As a result of the concerted efforts by scientists, we have been able to improve crop productivity from 0.7 tonnes/ha in 1970 to 2.4 tonnes/ha in 2022, resulting in an increased food production in the country, from merely 100mn tonnes in 1970 to about 330mn tonnes in 2022-23, without any increase in the net sown area. During this period, over 5,000 varieties of cereals, pulses and oilseeds crops were developed with desired agronomic traits.

  However, the productivity of major crops like wheat, rice, maize, chickpea, groundnut and mustard in India is far below the world’s highest productivity levels. Further, agriculture is facing several challenges today, predominant among which are fast-changing climate, dwindling natural resources like arable land and water, soil degradation, and emerging pests and pathogens.

Modern biotechnological tools

While conventional crop breeding is pivotal for developing improved crop varieties for securing the food demands of an ever-increasing population, combining it with advancements in biotechnology and genetic engineering tools can accelerate the pace of breeding and help us develop high-yielding crop varieties adapted to the challenging climatic conditions. It is thus imperative that we supplement the conventional breeding methods with modern biotechnological tools like genetic engineering and genome editing to develop new varieties and hybrids for achieving incremental gains in food production despite the challenges posed by climate change.

  With the advent of plant genetic engineering in the early 1990s, India embarked upon developing genetically modified (GM) crops with a range of traits primarily focusing on resistance to insect pests and diseases, nutritional quality, and tolerance to drought, salinity, etc. In 2002, GM cotton hybrids harbouring Bt gene and imparting resistance against insect-pest American bollworm were approved by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) and released for commercial cultivation. These Bt cotton hybrids were rapidly adopted by farmers, resulting in increased production from about 13mn bales in 2002-03 to a record production of 35mn bales in 2014-15. From being an importer, India went on to become a leading exporter of cotton globally.

  More recently in October 2022, GM mustard hybrid DMH 11, which was developed by the Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants in Delhi University and which has about 25% higher productivity, was given conditional approval by the GEAC for environmental release, and also the GM parental lines, with a view to developing more high-yielding hybrids for boosting the indigenous edible oil production and reducing our dependence on import over time. (India imported edible oil worth Rs 1.17 lakh crore in the year 2020-21, Rs 1.57 lakh crore in 2021-22 and Rs.1.38 lakh crore in 2022-23.)

  However, a writ petition was filed in the court in November 2022. As a result, further experimentation as required by the GEAC could not be undertaken and the desired field testing of the GM mustard parental lines as well as the GM hybrid DMH 11 could not be completed.

  In the meantime, on July 23, 2024, the Supreme Court has given a split judgement in the matter, allowing on the one hand the field testing of the GM mustard hybrid DMH11 to continue with sufficient safeguards and precautions, and quashing on the other hand the decision of the GEAC approving the environmental release of transgenic mustard hybrid DMH-11. It has directed the Union of India to formulate a National Policy on GM crops after conducting a national consultation with all stakeholders, including the State Governments, within next four months.

In the national interest

However, it is in the national interest that we deploy all modern biotechnologies, of which GM crops form an essential and integral component, to produce food more efficiently to meet the growing demand, without expanding the cultivated land. Notably, harnessing the benefits of GM technology is crucial not only for increasing crop productivity but also for ensuring climate resilience and environmental sustainability of Indian agriculture.

  Globally, GM crops have the potential to deliver a range of benefits to farmers, which include improved protection from insects, diseases, weeds and extreme weather conditions like drought, salinity and high temperature, resulting in increased yields, reduced pesticide use and increased farmers’ profitability. Importantly, researchers have developed GM rice, which has shown great promise in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Currently, more than 200mn ha of area is under cultivation of GM crops in 29 countries, and additionally 43 countries have accepted to consume GM crops.

  With regard to safety of GM crops, there have been about 4,400 risk assessments over the last more than 25 years by scientific experts in these 72 countries. All of them have concluded that GM crops have no difference in risk as compared to their non-GM counterparts. Importantly, several notable scientific bodies around the world like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, USA, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, USA, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS), India, have analysed the issue of GM foods safety critically and found that GM crops are safe from the biosafety angle.

  Delaying the adoption of GM crops can have several consequences such as reduced agricultural productivity, and increased dependency on less improved crop varieties and traditional farming practices. Crop varieties developed through conventional breeding methods may not always be sufficient to meet the growing demands for food due to a constant increase in population and fast-changing climatic conditions. Also, farmers may continue to rely more on chemical pesticides and fertilizers. This will not only increase input costs but also pose environmental and farmers’ health risks associated with pesticide use. GM crops offer an alternative and can supplement the ongoing breeding efforts for developing high-yielding, pest- and disease-resistant, and nutritionally enriched crop varieties and hybrids, while also enhancing resilience and sustainability in agricultural production.

  Further, countries that embrace agricultural biotechnologies, including GM crops (and also genome editing for that matter), may gain a competitive edge in global markets by producing higher yields more efficiently. Recently, China has approved higher-yielding GM soybean, corn, cotton and papaya for commercial cultivation for improving its agricultural efficiency. Hence, delaying adoption of GM technology could limit India's ability to compete in agricultural trade internationally. Timely release of GM crops which are at an advanced stage in the regulatory pipeline will provide immediate advantage and benefit to Indian farmers. Finally, we should derive as much benefit as possible by permitting the cultivation of the genetically improved, higher-yielding, robust GM crops capable of producing more from less, for the welfare of farmers and consumers and for reducing the environmental footprint of agriculture.