At the molecular level, increased yield is not a factor of any single gene but a combination of many different genes interacting with each other and the environment. A report by Action Aid concluded that rather than alleviating world hunger, GM crop technology ‘is likely to exacerbate hunger, leading to more hungry people, not less'. GM crops are recorded to be less tolerant to stress – like drought, excess rains etc. In the era of climate change and in a primarily rain-fed farming situation like ours, GM crops could in fact jeopardize our food security and safety.

‘In 2000, India had a record food surplus of 44 million tons. By 2002, the surplus had grown to 65 million tons, not due to excess production, but more and more people are unable to buy the grain that lies stockpiled'.
Devinder Sharma