ANNOUNCEMENTS
Bt cotton is a product of genetic engineering. It contains one or more foreign genes derived from soil dwelling bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki (Btk) for controlling cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera), a major pest incurring damage worth millions of rupees in India. However, the technology is considered to have ecological risks. The potential risks associated with Bt cotton are horizontal and vertical transfer of transgenes to related/unrelated organisms, effects on the non-target organisms and development of resistance amongst target lepidopteran pests. The perceived risks call for an ecological risk assessment, which may serve as a precedent for mitigation of these risks if they become unacceptable. In India, the elements of risks have been addressed in the Biosafety assessment, which is conducted by the existing biosafety committees. But from the criticisms of several academicians, it is evident that the assessment is not rigorous. The objective of the present report is to draft a framework which takes into account the direct, indirect, immediate or delayed risks of Bt cotton in detail and discuss the scientific principles for the hazard identification, likelihood of occurrence of hazards, associated uncertainties with risk assessment and iterative nature of risk assessment which will be satiated by effective monitoring and review. The various qualitative and quantitative techniques and models which may aid in the assessment has been reviewed and three qualitative frameworks have been proposed taking into account the available time and resources.
Keywords: Bt cotton, Genetically Modified Organisms, Ecological Risk Assessment, Monitoring.
