• The meeting of the Asia Tea Alliance (ATA) held on November 7 brought together tea producers from several Asian countries, including India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. 

• The discussions centered on key industry concerns such as climate change, genetically modified tea, and market diversification.

• The alliance’s primary objectives include strengthening tea trade, fostering cultural and technological exchanges, and increasing tea’s global appeal. 

• A key focus is to encourage worldwide tea consumption and to develop sustainable practices that secure the future of tea production across Asia.

What are GM crops and how is it done?

• Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can be defined as organisms in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating and/or natural recombination. The technology is often called “modern biotechnology” or “gene technology”, sometimes also “recombinant DNA technology” or “genetic engineering”.

• It allows selected individual genes to be transferred from one organism into another, also between non-related species. Foods produced from or using GMOs are often referred to as GM foods.

• Resistance against insects is achieved by incorporating into the food plant the gene for toxin production from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). 

• Virus resistance is achieved through the introduction of a gene from certain viruses which cause disease in plants. Herbicide tolerance is achieved through the introduction of a gene from a bacterium conveying resistance to some herbicides. 

• GM crops can mitigate several current challenges in commercial agriculture. Current market trends project them as one of the fastest growing and innovative global industries, which not only benefit growers but also consumers and major country economies.

• However, some experts say that GM foods can have harmful effects on the human body. It is believed that consumption of these genetically engineered foods can cause the development of diseases which are immune to antibiotics.

Are GM crops allowed in India?

• Bt cotton was the only GM crop approved in 2002 by the GEAC for commercial cultivation in the country.

• Cultivation of other unapproved GM crops was banned in India. Few incidences of suspected open cultivation of Bt brinjal and herbicide-tolerant Bt cotton (HTBT) cotton were reported in Maharashtra, Haryana, Punjab, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh.

• The department of agriculture, cooperation and farmers welfare have issued advisories to states to take appropriate necessary action to curb and control the spread of Bt Brinjal and HTBT cotton. 

• State governments have given directions to all district administrations to take necessary legal steps to curb the production and sale of illegal GM crops.

Arguments in support of GM crops

• In the wake of rising population, many scientists believe that GM crops can assist significantly in ensuring food security.

• GM food crops have been altered to have shorter growing cycles, stronger resistance to both insects and disease, and produce higher yields.

• In addition, some say these foods are also more nutritious and have a longer shelf life.

• Other benefits include reduced costs for food production, reduced need for pesticides and resistance to pests and disease. 

Arguments against GM crops

• Bt Cotton has failed in rain fed areas which represent two-thirds of cotton growing areas. It has succeeded only in irrigated areas.

• Concurrently with the consumption of GM food, there has been an increase in the incidence of gastrointestinal tract disorders and cases of allergy in the US. This, of course, does not establish a cause and effect relationship between consumption of GM food and health problems mentioned above, but it certainly makes it possible.

• The environmental safety aspects of GM crops vary considerably according to local conditions.

• The food may cause harm to other organisms.

• Genetically modified crops could inadvertently crossbreed with other crops.

• Insects might become resistant to the toxins produced by genetically modified crops.

• The food could make disease-causing bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.

• We produce more food today without the use of GM technology than is required to feed the world population, and we do not need GM technology to take care of future food requirements.

• We have virtually no testing of GM crops for safety. In the US, they are approved on the basis of just “substantial equivalence” with the non-GM material.

• Tests carried out so far have not been done by an independent body. They have been done by the company intending to market the product.

What is the role of GEAC?

• The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) functions under the environment ministry. As per Rules, 1989, it is responsible for the appraisal of activities involving large-scale use of hazardous microorganisms and recombinants in research and industrial production from the environmental angle.

• The committee is also responsible for the appraisal of proposals relating to release of genetically engineered (GE) organisms and products into the environment, including experimental field trials.

• It has 24 members and meets every month to review the applications in the areas indicated above.

India is world’s second-largest producer of tea

• The Indian tea industry holds a prominent position globally, ranking as the world’s second-largest producer of tea. In terms of production, northern India dominates, accounting for approximately 83 per cent of the nation’s total tea output in the 2021-22 period. 

• Most of this production is concentrated in Assam, followed by West Bengal. 

• Assam’s tea cultivation is primarily centered in two regions: the Assam Valley and Cachar. 

• In West Bengal, the primary tea-growing areas are Dooars, Terai, and the famous Darjeeling region.

• South India contributes around 17 per cent of India’s tea production, with Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka as the main tea-producing states. 

• Nationwide, India’s tea production reached 1,283 million kilograms in the 2020-21 fiscal year.

• India is also one of the leading tea-consuming countries worldwide, with the domestic market consuming 80 per cent of the tea produced within the country. 

• This high domestic demand underscores tea’s cultural significance and widespread popularity across various regions.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)