Bangladesh becomes the world's 28th country producing biotech crops by introducing commercial production of 'Bt Brinjal' (eggplant) last year.
International Service for Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA), in its latest brief report on commercialisation of biotech crops, revealed the information.
It showed that about 181.5 million hectares of biotech crops were grown globally last year, an increase of more than six million hectares from the level 2013.
"With the addition of Bangladesh, a total of 28 countries grew biotech crops during the year (2014)," says the report. "The 20 developing and eight industrial countries where biotech crops are produced represent more than 60 per cent of the world's population."
Introduction of Bt Brinjal in Bangladesh, however, faces strong protest from environmentalists and right groups as they termed it a curse for farmers and consumers. They opined that genetically modified (GM) crop would increase toxicity in the human body and eliminate delicious indigenous varieties.
"It is not an issue of a single crop like Bt Brinjal, it is an issue of our food system, our ownership on food and seeds," Farida Akhter, one of the founder of UBINIG, told the FE.
Farida also said that ISAAA is desperate to laud Bangladesh's move on Bt Brinjal as it would give multinational corporations an upper-hand in introducing GM crops in poor countries.
Big agro-based multinational companies like Monsanto claims that GM or biotech crops are safe to eat and not harmful for environment.
When contacted, Dr. Rafiqul Islam Mondol, Director General of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), told the FE that production of Bt Brinjal was still very limited and there is no hurry to spread it.
"We are moving slowly and examining different risk factors carefully," he added.
The ISAAA report termed Bangladesh a 'model for success' in the field of biotech crop production on a commercial basis.
"One of the smallest and poverty-stricken countries in the world, Bangladesh approved Bt Brinjal/eggplant in October 2013," said the report.
"Less than 100 days' post-approval commercialisation began in January 2014 when 120 farmers planted the crop on 12 hectares of land throughout the year," it added.
The ISAAA has attributed it to the strong government support, particularly that from Minister for Agriculture Matia Chowdhury. It has termed the experience 'exemplary for small poor countries'.
"Bangladesh is already field testing biotech potatoes and exploring biotech cotton and rice," it added.
The ISAAA has also claimed that the case of Bangladesh in 2014 reconfirmed the value and success of public-private partnerships. "The Bt biotech trait for brinjal, one of the most nutritious and important vegetables in Bangladesh, was donated by Mahyco, an Indian company," it mentioned.
Interestingly, despite being world's 5th largest GM crop producer, India in 2009 put an indefinite moratorium on Bt Brinjal field test, in the face of strong opposition.
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