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Dr Borlaug calls for GM technology to raise food production
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Friday, 01 April, 2005, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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By Our Special Correspondent
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The Nobel laureate and Father of Green Revolution, Dr Norman E Borlaug, has called for adoption of genetically modified (GM) technologies to enhance agricultural growth in developing countries. In fact, he did not like the term GMOs (genetically modified organisms), instead he preferred to call the new generation crops 'transgenic crosses.'
Delivering the Coromandel lecture instituted by the Murugappa Group at a scientific convention to coincide with the centenary celebrations of the Indian Institute of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in New Delhi recently, the 90-year-old legendary agricultural scientist said crops had been modified genetically from the Neolithic Age. He said there was need to double food production by 2050 if hunger were to be banished from the world and the ongoing gene revolution would definitely play a part in this. " You cannot build peace on empty stomachs," he emphasised.
Dr Borlaug cautioned that food production alone cannot ensure food security. "The problems of food distribution and raising the income of people need to be addressed," he said. He is confident that there is enough food in the world, today, to meet the needs of food security. The problem is about distribution of food to 800 million underfed, and also the low purchasing power of the poor.
Asked to comment on the situation of heavy farm subsidies given in developed countries which have depressed global prices affecting the interests of Third World farmers, Dr Borlaug said: "Initially these subsidies were given to small and marginal farmers in Europe. Today rich peasants are cornering large amounts of subsidy. This is the compulsions of a democracy."
In the Indian context, Dr Borlaug said that there exists a paradox of surplus food stock and a large number of underfed. "India needs to develop rural infrastructure like roads and provide basic services like health and education to the poor. Food-for-work programme should be extensive to augment employment opportunities for the poor. He, however, said that the situation was not so bad in India as it was prior to 1960s when the Green Revolution was launched.
He pointed out that science and technology is there to augment production. What is now needed is to ensure food management and distribution through policy approach. He expressed concern that poor African countries are unable to provide subsidised ration to the poor unlike other countries.
Commenting on India's wheat economy, he said: "It is satisfying to note it is proceeding on the right track. Farmers are gradually taking up improved agronomic and agricultural practices and increasing the efficiency of irrigation." Dr Borlaug was the pioneer of dwarf wheat varieties which ushered Green Revolution in India. At the behest of Dr Borlaug, Mexican varieties, Lermaroso and Sonara-64 was crossbred with Japanese Norin-10 gene to produce dwarf wheat grown in spring season and from this dwarf wheat varieties several Indian varieties were subsequently developed for cultivation in the country.
Dr Borlaug advocated the practice of zero tillage and raised bed cultivation as these would save the soil from erosion. He noted during his short journey to Punjab and Haryana a decline in factor productivity and suggested these states take up these agri practices in a big way. He said that these practices have proved effective in Argentina, Chile and even in the US.
He said that west African countries should adopt these practices as there is a dearth of animal power in the region and poor farmers have no money to purchase tractors. He noted that many wheat crops in Africa are becoming susceptible to rust diseases and said that global research bodies are active in resolving this issue.
He ruled out the possibility of feeding the world through organic farming and alleged: "The issue is mere political." World's cattle population will have to be increased threefold to produce dung needed to replace 80 million tonne of nitrogen consumption, he said and added: "This is just not possible." He said that if the cattle population is raised to this level, it would cause a shrinkage in cultivable land and more grazing space would be created.
Dr Borlaug advocated the case for application of transgenic technology in agriculture in the interest of food and nutritional security. He suggested the transfer of wheat gene to rice for increasing the glutenin content and transfer of rice gene to wheat for making it resistant to rust disease. He said that if BT cotton has failed to deliver in parts of of India "it is not due to the BT gene but due to the insertion of the BT gene in a not-so productive crop."
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