TEC recommended a 10-Year Moratorium on all Field Trials of GM Food Crops

TEC (Technical Expert Committee), in its interim report recommended a 10-year moratorium on all field trials of Genetically Modified (GM) food crops, including Bt Cotton. In its interim report, it suggested that the present regulatory system and protocol for conducting the field trials were unsatisfactory and inadequate, requiring major changes, restructuring and strengthening.

TEC Committee’s recommendation is based on the current overall status of food safety evaluation of Bt transgenic including the data on Bt Cotton and Bt Brinjal examined by the TEC and in accordance with the precautionary principle.

TEC’s suggestion for a moratorium on field trial was welcomed by environmentalists. In fact, the moratorium is necessitated by the potential harm of GM crops to human health, that of livestock and biodiversity and the possibility of field trials to contaminate regular crops and food supply. Five-member TEC was appointed by the Supreme Court of India.