Why in the News?

The Court of Appeals in the Philippines revoked biosafety permits for GM Golden Rice and BT eggplant, citing safety violations and ordering a halt until issues are resolved.

Golden Rice and Bt Eggplant in the Philippines

What is Golden Rice?

Golden Rice is a variety of rice (Oryza sativa) developed through genetic engineering to produce beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A, in the edible parts of the rice.
This modification aims to address vitamin A deficiency, particularly in areas where it’s prevalent.

The Philippines approved its commercial production in 2021.
The Philippines became the first country to officially issue a biosafety permit for commercially propagating golden rice in July 2021.

Bt Eggplant: Developed by the University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB), Bt eggplant is engineered to resist pests, aiming to enhance farmer productivity and reduce environmental impact.

Development of Golden Rice:

Research for golden rice began as a Rockefeller Foundation initiative in 1982.
Peter Bramley discovered in the 1990s that a single phytoene desaturase gene (bacterial CrtI) could be used to produce lycopene from phytoene in genetically modified tomato.
Ingo Potrykus of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and Peter Beyer of the University of Freiburg published the scientific details of golden rice in 2000 after an eight-year project.

Genetics:

Golden rice incorporates Psy and CrtI genes from daffodils and a soil bacterium into the rice genome to enhance beta-carotene production in the endosperm.

Field Trials and Approvals:

The first field trials of golden rice cultivars were conducted by Louisiana State University Agricultural Center in 2004.
Additional trials were conducted in the Philippines, Taiwan, and Bangladesh.
In 2018, Canada and the United States approved golden rice as safe for consumption.
In 2019, the Philippines approved golden rice for use as human food, animal feed, or for processing.

In the context of India

Currently, there is no cultivation or commercialization of Golden Rice in India. Growing and selling GM brinjal remains banned in India.
Recently, the Supreme Court has also intervened on the issue of stubble burning and paddy cultivation in India esp, Punjab and Haryana states.
- India has approved commercial cultivation of only one GM crop, Bt cotton. No GM food crop has ever been approved for commercial cultivation in the country.
- We can have some lessons from the Philippines.

Controversy over its Use

Legal challenges emerged in the Philippines in 2023 and 2024, leading to a halt in commercial propagation.
Critics have raised concerns about its safety, environmental impact, and efficacy compared to other interventions like supplements and dietary diversification.
Greenpeace opposes the use of genetically modified organisms in agriculture and opposes the cultivation of golden rice.
Vandana Shiva, an Indian anti-GMO activist, has argued against golden rice, citing potential issues with loss of biodiversity and availability of diverse and nutritionally adequate food.

Golden Rice 2:

In 2005, researchers at Syngenta developed Golden Rice 2, which contains the phytoene synthase (psy) gene from maise combined with the crtl gene from the original golden rice.
Golden Rice 2 produces significantly higher levels of carotenoids, particularly beta-carotene, compared to the original golden rice.

PYQ:

[2018] With reference to the Genetically Modified mustard (GM mustard) developed in India, consider the following statements:

GM mustard has the genes of a soil bacterium that give the plant the property of pest resistance to a wide variety of pests.
GM mustard has the genes that allow the plant cross-pollination and hybridisation.
GM mustard has been developed jointly by the IARI and Punjab Agricultural University.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 3 only

(b) 2 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

[2021] What are the research and developmental achievements in applied biotechnology? How will these achievements help to uplift the poorer sections of the society?

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