India has emerged as the hottest battleground in the worldwide debate over genetically-engineered crops. Multinational seed companies are eager to enter the Indian market, though no crops have been approved for commercial planting. In the summer of 2000, the Indian government permitted the first large-scale field trial of a GM crop—an insect-resistant (Bt) cotton variety developed by the American biotech giant, Monsanto. (An Indian seed company partly owned by Monsanto will market the crop if it's approved for commercial use.)

Anecdotal evidence suggests most Indian farmers know little about GM technology and are not active in the debate. Those who are engaged are divided: some farmers’ organizations welcome the new technology, others voice strong opposition. Opponents fear that farmers may become dependent on multinational seed companies. Environmentalists also warn that GM crops could contaminate traditional crop varieties and threaten India's rich biodiversity.

While the public debate has centered on proposed imports of commercial biotech crops, government-backed researchers are working on a variety of crops aimed at improving food production and nutrition. Public-sector GM research is focused on disease- and pest-resistance, quality, and yield, in food crops such as brassicas(cabbage family), mung bean, pigeon pea, rice, cotton, tomatoes and potatoes. <<Back to Global View main map