Scientists in favour of Bt write to Lok Sabha Speaker

Dear friends,
As the debate over merits and demerits of biotechnology raged across the country, the Foundation for Biotechnology Awareness and Education (FBAE) issued an appeal/letter addressed to Meira Kumar, Speaker of Lok Sabha. The appeal/letter signed by five scientists including FBAE President Prof Shanthu Shantharam criticised ‘activism to undermine contribution of Bt Cotton in India’ and dubbed such activism as ‘attack on Science’. Here is text of their appeal/letter issued on March 24, 2012:

Smt Meira Kumar,
Hon’ble Speaker of the Lok Sabha,
Parliament of India,
New Delhi

Sub: Activism to undermine the contribution of Bt Cotton in India.

SOMEONE HAS TO STOP THIS ATTACK ON SCIENCE

Hon’ble Speaker Madam,
The scientific community overwhelmingly approves the positive transformation in cotton farming in India since the introduction of Bt cotton in 2002.  At the same time, the scientific community is highly disturbed by the persistent campaign against Bt cotton by the activists who spread misinformation, negatively influencing the public mind on the performance of Bt cotton and the benefits accrued from it.  They made imaginary allegations against its safety and benefits even while the crop was still undergoing regulatory studies in our country and continue to do the same even a decade after its successful introduction.  It is a matter of great concern to us that vested interest is trying to force policy makers and law makers to act against not just Bt cotton, but all biotech crops in India.  That they have largely succeeded is evident from the moratorium imposed on Bt brinjal and that no action was taken to remedy the situation in two years, which has undermined the whole R & D of crop biotechnology.

Benefits of Bt cotton cultivation:
The commercial approval of Bt cotton in March 2002 by GEAC, Govt of India, was an important breakthrough that revived the ailing cotton sector in the country.
Prior to 2002, for decades, cotton crops were devastated by bollworms, causing over 60% yield losses despite spraying a variety of chemical insecticides, often exceeding 20 times for a single crop, as these insect pests had developed resistance. Bt cotton, developed specifically to control bollworms, brought the much needed relief to our farmers who readily adopted it.
Average yield of cotton in India increased from a pathetic 308 kg per hectare in 2001-02 to a respectable 499 kg per hectare in 2011-12 and cotton production increased from 13.6 million bales in 2002-03 to 35.5 million bales in 2011-12, concomitant with the steep increase in adoption of Bt cotton between 2002 and 2011.
After Bt Cotton was widely adopted, India was transformed from a net importer of raw cotton until 2002, to a net exporter. 
The number of Bt cotton farmers increased from 50,000 in 2002-03 to 7 million (70 lakhs) in 2011-12, representing approximately 88% of 8 million cotton farmers in 2011-12 who planted and benefited significantly from Bt cotton hybrids.
In 2011-12, the Bt cotton area soared to 10.6 million hectares or 88% of the total cotton acreage of 12.1 million hectares in our country, almost 3 times the Bt cotton area of China at 3.9 million hectares.
The use of insecticides on cotton crops, measured as active ingredient, exhibited a consistent and significant downward trend since the introduction of Bt cotton in 2002-03. Notably, the large scale adoption of Bt cotton halved insecticide usage on cotton from 46% of total insecticides used in our country in 2001-02 to 21% in 2010.
The annual global study of benefits generated by biotech crops, conducted by Brookes and Barfoot, estimated that India enhanced farm income from Bt cotton by US$9.4 billion (or Rs. 42,300 crores) in the period 2002 to 2010 (nine-year period) while US$2.5 billion in 2010 alone. Typically, yield gains ranged from 31% to 63%, reduction in chemical sprays from 25 to 55% and increase in net profit to farmers varied from Rs.7,800 to 30,000 per hectare depending upon various factors, thereby improving their social and economic status.
In the last 10 years of its commercial cultivation in India (and since 15 years in several other countries), Bt cotton has not caused any scientifically proven ill effect on humans, animals, birds, other non-target organisms, soil or the environment. Bt has lived up to its global reputation as one of the safest biopesticides ever.
The simple fact is that over 70 lakh Indian farmers would not have adopted Bt cotton if it were not safe and beneficial to them. This also clearly demonstrates that our farmers are wise and willing to adopt modern technologies and that they are not unduly influenced by unnecessary controversies. However, the opponents continue to hurl the same old allegations that Bt cotton is harmful and not beneficial to farmers.

Farmer suicides:
Activists have been consistently and mischievously attributing farmers’ suicides to Bt cotton. Reports from reputed institutes have established that there is no link between farmer suicides and Bt cotton.
A report from the International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, in 2008 concluded that suicides among Indian farmers have not increased as a result of the introduction of GM cotton as alleged by certain NGOs.  Several experts from other organizations such as the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research and Indian Institute of Management have concluded that indebtedness is one of the main causes for farmer suicides. Other causes include repeated crop failures due to fluctuating weather conditions such as failure of rain, untimely rain, unusually heavy rain or drought. The anti-biotech activists have attributed crop failures due to any cause - be it vagaries of monsoon, sucking pests, diseases, poor management, etc. - to Bt cotton, not realizing that this technology is meant only for controlling bollworms.
As per the Action Plan for Agricultural Development of Maharashtra submitted to the Government of Maharashtra, the main reasons for farmers’ suicide are a) indebtedness, b) family disputes, and c) addiction and health related problems.
Another Expert Group on Agriculture Indebtedness, from the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India, concluded that agricultural indebtedness is not the main cause of farmer suicides, but stagnation in agriculture, marketing risks, and the collapse of extension system, growing institutional vacuum and lack of livelihood opportunities are the primary causes.
There have been cases of farmer suicides in other states as well for other crops where Bt technology was not used. West Bengal, in particular, has seen increased cases of suicides among potato farmers and the state government is looking into the matter closely now.

Our appeal:
We would like to stress that Bt cotton has undergone thorough biosafety tests for 6 to 7 years in each country, including India, before it was approved as safe for commercial cultivation. It has lived up to its expectation, giving no cause for concern. Further, it has contributed immensely to enhance cotton production and profitability of farmers. We appeal to you not to yield to pressure tactics exerted by the anti-tech activists through unsubstantiated allegations and agitations. Kindly allow farmers to continue to access Bt cotton without restriction so that they can use the best of modern technology and best seeds, and continue the cotton revolution in India.
We also take this opportunity to request that the moratorium on Bt brinjal be lifted and its commercial cultivation approved for the benefit of farmers and consumers.  Trust that you would do all that is needed to uphold the value of science and scientists so that they can continue their research unhindered and contribute to the progress of agriculture, benefitting the farmers and society.

Yours Sincerely
1) Professor Shanthu Shantharam, President, FBAE, shanthus@iastate.edu
Professor, Seed Science Center and BIGMAP, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011,
2) C. Kameswara Rao, Executive Secretary, FBAE, pbtkrao@gmail.com
3) Dr T M Manjunath, Consultant in Agri-Biotechnology, manjunathtm@gmail.com
4) Dr C D Mayee, President, Indian Society for Cotton Improvement
And former Chairman ASRB, New Delhi, Vice Chancellor, M.A.U, Parbhani
Agri Commisioner Govt of India and Director CICR Nagpur
5) Dr M Mahadevappa, Former VC, University of Agri Sciences, Dharwad, Former Chairman, ASRB, ICAR, GOI, New Delhi. Presently-Director, JSS Rural Development, JSS Mahavidya peetha, Ramanuja Road, Mysore – 570004, Karnataka, mehedevrice@yahoo.com