A technical body has said that genetically-modified (GM) mustard is “safe for human and animal health” and did not threaten biodiversity. Now, the Environment Ministry will take a “final call” on whether GM mustard should be declared safe for commercial cultivation. The report also attested that using foreign genes had its intended effect of developing hybrid mustard. The committee’s recommendations are likely to be scrutinised by environmental activists, several of whom have said that the GM mustard in question, is a threat to farmer livelihoods, ecology and consumer health. The Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture, a collective of organisations opposed to GM foods led a march in Delhi last week, requesting the Aam Aadmi Party leadership in Delhi to disallow GM mustard trials or any commercialisation.

Source: The Hindu September 05, 2016 14:37 UTC