Genetically Modified Crops, Agriculture and Biosafety

Abstract

The increasing cultivation of GM crops has raised a wide range of concerns with respect to food safety, environmental effects and socio-economic issues. The chief issue is the threat of introgression of the transgene into natural gene pool. Proponents of GM technology argue on the lines that the technology ensures that farmers get access to higher quality seeds; farm yield is enhanced; varieties with special traits can be created and food security is accomplished. The present chapter discusses the global concerns to GM technology and the governance frameworks namely the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the Nagoya–Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress. The status of implementation in various South Asian countries are looked into.