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When Biotechnologists Lack Objectivity
We dismiss Deepak Pental’s strong biased criticisms of P. C. Kesavan and M. S. Swaminathan; evaluate the nature of disagreements of the GMO problem, and review two major controversies concerning GMO’s in India: Bt cotton and the proposed commercialization of GMO herbicide-tolerant (HT) mustards. The data show that the very modest gains in cotton yields were due to increased fertilizer use and not Bt cotton adoption, and that better non-GMO options are available. Using data made available through Right to Information Act, we show that the process of biosafety testing of GMO mustard DMH 11 and its HT parents was flawed and that no yield gains accrued compared to the available non-GMO hybrid DMH-1.
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