Rakesh Tikait opposes FSSAI's regulation on GM food

The letter by Tikait held that the draft regulations proposed by the FSSAI are certainly inadequate to ensure food safety

FSSAI's draft regulation on genetically modified foods found another opponent on Saturday with Samyukta Kisan Morcha leader Rakesh Tikait rejecting the same and demanding prohibition of GM foods.

Tikait's letter rejected GM technology in food and farming systems and asked FSSAI to withdraw the regulations came a fortnight after the RSS-affiliated Swadeshi Jagran Manch flagged its objections to the draft calling it a prescription for public health disaster.

SJM co-convenor Ashwani Mahajan had even alleged that the FSSAI's draft is "designed to create markets for the global GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) and processed food industry" at the cost of public health.

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In the past SJM as well RSS's farm wing Bharatiya Kisan Sangh had opposed clearance to GM Mustard. A Parliamentary committee had dealt with the GM food issue in detail in 2017-18 and appearing before it ICMR had said that while GM crops are safe, it needs to be assessed case by case.

Bt Cotton is the lone GM crop under cultivation in India while Bt Brinjal had failed to get the government's clearance.

In his missive to the CEO of FSSAI, Tikait said, "on behalf of the Bhartiya Kisan Union, we write to you to express our serious objections to the draft regulations on GMOs put out by the FSSAI. After farmer unions and other citizen groups, as well as state governments, ensured that no GM food crops are allowed to be cultivated in India, and that risky field trials are stopped, we find that the regulations being proposed by FSSAI are just one more attempt to bring in unsafe and unwanted GMOs and GM foods into India."

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It alleged that the weak regulations allow for backdoor entry of GMOs and held that the draft regulations proposed by the FSSAI are certainly inadequate to ensure food safety.

FSSAI had two months back sought public comments on the draft regulation on manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import of any food or food ingredient derived from genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

"Basing decisions in India on approvals given elsewhere is a complete mockery of the regulator’s responsibility to evolve regulation as per our own needs and requirements. The draft regulations have no mention of any independent and long term impact studies, that too in a comprehensive fashion. No market surveillance mechanisms have been proposed, nor is it clear who will be making decisions and with whose interests were kept in mind", the letter by BKU said.

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The letter further added, "We are aware of the scientific evidence on the health, environmental, and economic risks posed by GM technology. This is why GMOs have been rejected by India’s citizens, led by farmer unions such as ours, as we saw in the case of both Bt Brinjal and HT Mustard. Most of our state governments have also rejected GM technology. For farmers, the threat of corporate capture of our food system is too great. We see GM foods as a ploy by the biotech industry, especially when we have successfully managed to stall the commercial cultivation permission for GM crops in India.

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