No, I am not talking about General Motors. I am talking about genetically-modified (GM) crops. This is still a very controversial issue in many parts of the world. In India, it is a very emotional issue. Many people are against of using biotechnology in agriculture. On the other hand, Indian agricultural output is not increasing enough and slowly India is finding itself in an uncomfortable position of having food shortage. Importing food grains is never a good thing for Indian economy.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is in favor of having a balanced approach to this matter. He spoke in an international rice conference earlier today. Reuters reported:
“Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Monday possible health and environmental dangers from the development of new genetically-modified rice varieties had to be balanced with the need to feed more than one billion people.
"We need to strike a balance between using the potential of biotechnology to meet the requirements of hungry people, while addressing ethical concerns about interfering with nature," Singh told a international rice conference.
By 2025, the Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates global demand for rice will have risen to 800 million tonnes a year against current output of 600 million tonnes.”
What do you think about this issue? I feel that South Asian governments are fighting a losing battle. They are not focusing on the main issue. The main thing they should do is to address the population growth issue. If population continues to grow at an alarming rate then even GM foods will not be enough.
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