Bt Brinjal The scope and adequacy of the GEAC environmental risk assessment
Bt Brinjal: The scope and adequacy of the GEAC ... - Down To Earth
Bt Brinjal: The scope and adequacy of the GEAC ... - Down To Earth
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Socioeconomic Analysis 59Second, <strong>Bt</strong> brinjal may lead to <strong>the</strong> loss <strong>of</strong> many local brinjal varieties through indirect means. If hybrid <strong>Bt</strong> brinjal is adoptedby small-scale resource-poor farmers, <strong>the</strong>n o<strong>the</strong>r crop management practices (fertiliser use <strong>and</strong> insecticide applications) maychange to reduce <strong>the</strong> <strong>risk</strong> <strong>of</strong> seed failure. This would lock farmers into a <strong>Bt</strong> brinjal technology package, which would probablylead to a reduction in local natural agricultural resources, especially local brinjal varietal diversity. <strong>The</strong> loss <strong>of</strong> local brinjalvarietal diversity may be considerable, <strong>and</strong> this threat must be seriously considered, <strong>and</strong> if needed, actions taken to avoid it.Third, <strong>the</strong> internal supply <strong>of</strong> brinjal is expected to increase, driving <strong>the</strong> wholesale price down (Krishna <strong>and</strong> Qiam 2008).Although <strong>Bt</strong> brinjal farmers may receive only a small portion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> benefits stemming from increased supply (discussed above),<strong>the</strong> predicted price decline will transfer greater economic <strong>risk</strong>s to both small-scale resource-poor <strong>and</strong> large-scale commercial non-<strong>Bt</strong> brinjal farmers. This is not fair.Fourth, commercialisation <strong>of</strong> <strong>Bt</strong> brinjal may interfere with government plans to develop a strong vegetable export market.Affluent importing countries in Europe <strong>and</strong> Asia may question <strong>the</strong>ir desire for Indian brinjal because <strong>of</strong> an aversion togenetically engineered foods. <strong>The</strong> commercialisation <strong>of</strong> <strong>Bt</strong> brinjal may lead to suspicions about o<strong>the</strong>r Indian vegetable exports,which would slow down <strong>the</strong> growth <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> export market.Needed Experiments <strong>and</strong> Observations1. <strong>Brinjal</strong> yield gap. Compile scientific literature on yield gaps for brinjal. A brinjal yield gap can be substituted for <strong>the</strong>grain-based yield gap used in this report.2. Returns to alternatives. <strong>The</strong> Indian government should promote research to estimate net economic returns fromtraditional, local, <strong>and</strong> organic practices to limit damage from BFSB. Once <strong>the</strong>se values are know, he government can adjustits policies to promote <strong>the</strong> technologies that are most likely to help Indian farmers <strong>and</strong> consumers.3. Economic security. Assess <strong>the</strong> effect <strong>of</strong> hybrid <strong>Bt</strong> brinjal on <strong>the</strong> short- <strong>and</strong> long-term economic security <strong>of</strong> large-scalecommercial farmers <strong>and</strong> small-scale resource-poor farmers.4. Non-utilitarian values. Assess <strong>the</strong> indirect effects <strong>of</strong> <strong>Bt</strong> brinjal on human health, religion <strong>and</strong> culture.5. Large-scale indirect effects. Assess <strong>risk</strong>s associated with indirect loss <strong>of</strong> brinjal biological diversity, <strong>and</strong> governmentplans to exp<strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> vegetable export market6. Rapid response capacity. Evaluate <strong>the</strong> capacity <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Indian extension service to respond quickly to productiondem<strong>and</strong>s that will appear soon after hybrid <strong>Bt</strong> brinjal is commercialised.