Bt Brinjal is the officially released first Genetically Modified (GM) food crop in Bangladesh. Bangladesh becomes the first in the region to grow a GM food crop.
Consumers in the country have long been exposed to GM food through consumption of imported GM soyabean oil. As of 2013, roughly 91 per cent of soyabeans, 90 per cent of the corn and 88 per cent of cotton produced in the United States are genetically modified.
According to experts, the advantage of modified food is that it helps in preventing the occurrence of allergies. They grow faster than their traditionally grown counterparts. A farmer need not bother about any additional costs of buying chemicals and pesticides when it comes to genetically engineered food. The food is naturally pest-resistant.
Europe is the major destination for our vegetable exports. Activists in European countries have not only voiced strong reservations against GMO crops, their governments also banned GMO products.
Meanwhile, responding to a public interest litigation, the High Court of Bangladesh directed the government on September 29, 2013 to hold back the release of Bt Brinjal in the absence of an in-depth assessment of the possible health risks.
Indian scientists also have strongly criticised Bangladesh's decision to introduce four varieties of genetically modified brinjal. The UK-based organisation GM Freeze (GMF) has called upon Bangladesh government to review its decision on commercialisation of GM crops to protect local non-GM farmers and exporters from the risk of losing their business.
The consumption of genetically engineered foods can lead to diseases that are immune to antibiotics. Chances of developing cancer are high in people who regularly consume engineered food.
As the vegetable is largely cross-pollinated, transgenic, contamination poses a big problem in protecting the natural biodiversity as well as local varieties of brinjal. The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety recognises the importance of protecting centres of origin and centres of genetic diversity. Bangladesh, as a party to the Cartagena Protocol and a centre of origin and diversity of brinjal, should therefore be cautious in commercialisation of genetically engineered variety of this vegetable.
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