*INTERVIEW WITH DR. M.S. SWAMINATHAN (courtesy IGNOU)

In this exclusive interview the famous Magsaysay award winning agricultural scientist speaks about Bio-safety, need for a National commission on Genetically modified plants, the Global Environment facility at the Gulf of Mannar in Tamilnadu etc. These are excerpts from the exclusive interview recorded during the Science Congress at Chennai in January 1999.

IGNOU: What is the role of Agricultural Bio-technology in the area of development towards 21st Century?

Ans: Agricultural bio-technology is a fast emerging field. Initially, most of the applications of bio-technology were in the field of medicine and health. Medical biotech is still in the United States and industrialised countries. Security is much more important than food. We are concerned with individual's health and with aging population, health has become very important. As world population is growing, there is going to be serious food shortages in the coming century. Hence Agricultural biotechnology is much more important. The most important part of agricultural biotechnology is what we call transgenics: in other words, recombining DNA experiments by which you take completely new combinations. Getting genes from a totally wild species across sexual barriers for draught tolerance, for senelity tolerance. In our own centre, we are trying to isolate the gene sequences which are responsible for coastal senelity tolerance for mangoes. These mangoes are grown from Sunderbans, Bitrakanika in Orissa. Now they tolerate sea water. In the next century, the sea level will rise as a result of global warming. Then what we will do?. We will have to depend upon varieties of rice, vegetables which are tolerant to sea water. So, the genes are taken up from Mangoes and are implanted in other crops. So altogether new uncommon opportunities have been opened up by the ability to move genes across sexual barriers. Today, 14 million hectares were under what we call trans genic crops mainly Maize, Soyabean, cotton and also Mustard called Khanota in North America. Now 75% of this area is in the United States of America. There have been concerns both in India and in European Union countries about what we call Bio-safety, environmental safety, food safety and issues related to genetically modified organisms.

In order to develop internationally agreed protocol on Bio- safety, the global binding, legally binding conventions or biological diversity, on such experiments, had been stipulated so that all the parties subscribing to this convention should agree upon the internationally agreed protocol on bio-safety. Negotiations are almost coming to completion, probably within next few months. We might be having an internationally agreed bio-technology bracket.

Agricultural bio-technology has generated more fear in the public minds than medical bio-technology, because in medical bio-technology, everybody sees a new vaccine and new form of insulin and so on. Everybody feels happy with the incoming of any new medicine. The human geno of every disease will be mapped within 2 or 3 years. Prof. James Watson, said, by the year 2002, we would have completed the human Genomes Project. But the rice genome, plants genome are being worked out. The plant like Arabigobses are more or les on genome. The rice genome project is very well advanced. We find progress all over the world in understanding the very blue prints of life. Since we are manipulating the very blue prints of life, people are more concerned about biotics, bio-safety and also certain technologies which may be appropriate in one particular socio culture, socio ecnomic belief will not be appropriate under our conditions; for our farmers are seed savers; 80% of the very small farm families keep their own seeds. if you develop a few mechanisms by which the seeds would not germinate, you will have to go to the company every year to get the seed. That is inappropriate technology for the resource performer. So what is good in one area mayy not be good in another area. After all only 2 % of the United states of America are engaged in agriculture. In our country, 70 % are engaged. Therefore, we will have to do what we call Bio-surveillance, that food safety aspects involve more public understanding because there are times, fears are generated and we cannot throw the baby with bath water. In Soviet Union, in 40"s one scientist Dr. Lisenco, who did not like the science of genetics put the famous Scientist Novoli Vavalov in prison in Siberia who later on due to cold in the region, died in the prison. This action put impediment in the whole agricultural process of Russia. Therefore, people who talk of monetary benefit on any scientific experiment should not harm the progress of knowledge and science. The most important thing is to see that whole set of precautionary package is being developed. During science congress this was discussed in detail so that India can derive the benefit from modern bio-technology by balancing the risk and benefits. A National Commision on Genetically modified plants and agriculture, farm animals and a broad based media representatives who are the watch dogs of public interest is necessary. Hence the commission should include scientists, media representatives, civil society organisations, national commission for women and all to develop mechanisms, precautionary packages, rather than saying we will not use science in that particular area.

IGNOU: What is Global Environment Facility?

Ans: In late 80's this famous book or report was submitted by Glo Haren Brooklyn. She was then the P.M. of Norway. Now she is Director General of World Health Organisation. That report was called Our Common Future. The message of the report was, whatever may be our political frontiers, ecologically our fates are intertwined.

Even though we can continue arguing, who created the climatic change, the draught, the tornadoes, the sea level rise etc. but the fact remains that it affects all of us whether we belong to India, Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal or United States. That is why Brooklyn report was called Our Common Future. The damage to environment, particularly in terms of climate is being casued by Industrial nations. Today more than 80 % of World's annual income is through industries. Therefore, Brooklyn commission recommended that there should be some mechanism for helping developing countries to adopt environmental friendly technologies which may sometimes be propriety of science. For example, our refrigerator Industry is very advanced. The old refrigeration industry caused ozone hole causing more ultra violet radiation. The new non floro chloro carbon, CFC technology is now available. But it is very expensive and also proprietary of science. So it was decided as a pilot study in 1991, a Global Environment Facility should be created jointly by the World Bank, UNDP and United Nations environment programme for the purpose of funding projects for the developing countries in 4 areas viz. Bio-diversity conservation, climatic changes,ozone layer protection and international river water pollution which go along different states like the Ganges and so on. In 1992, during the world conference on Environment and development held in Rio De Janerio, referred as Rio Conference, it was decided that this pilot phase should become more permanent. The world requires a Global Environment Facility. Just as the world requires a World Food programme located in Rome for Food security, we require a Global Environment facility for the ecological security of our planets. Now that facilities has grown in the last six years. In fact the first general assembly of that Global Environ facility was held in New Delhi in April 1998 in which the donors pledged 2.75 billion dollars for the next three years to support projects.

We at the request of Govt. of India, Ministry of Environment and Forest and Tamil Nadu Govt, developed a detailed Global Environment Facility Project to save the unique biological heritage of Gulf of Mannar. Guld of Mannar, the souther most part of our country has 21 beautiful islands. In the past, some of the islands like Crusade Island is a paradise for other stations. Now it has become a paradise lost. At least we have not lost the remaining ones. We still have some coral reefs though not as good as Great Barrier Reef of Australia but still are good barriers. Therefore, we have prepared a project for saving whatever remains of the Gulf of Mannar for Global Environment Facility. It is being considered by Govt of India, the project provides a very important paradigm shift in the management of Biosphere reserves. Biosphere reservces should be managed by Forest departments. It is recommended that there should be a Bio- sphere trust for presnt and future generations to be held by the people of that area and the government department together. As Mahatma Gandhi referred the industrialists as the trustees of wealth rather than owners of it, the biosphere trust should protecft the unique biological diversity heritage of Gulf of Mannar.