Is deployment strategy of GM crops scientific? What should be the role of government on GM crops in the present scenario? Can the Government play a proactive regulatory role in promoting technology access at affordable price? How to protect the interest of the farmers and domestic industry? What are the guiding principles in fixing trait value / royalty on GM technology, if it is patented?
The main outcomes and recommendations of the meeting at ANGRAU university.
1.
The
future agriculture should be a science-driven. Thus, technology
development process should be strengthened both in public and private sector.
In particular, the public investment should be increased to state
agricultural universities to face the competition from private sector in
development of competitive biotech-based technologies for the modern
agriculture.
2.
State
Governments should strengthen core biotechnology research programme in
potential crops such as cotton, rice, maize, sunflower, soyabean, vegetables,
etc., by creating “core commodity based researchers team” with time-bond task for developing GM crop technologies of high market
value.
This helps to create a healthy competition with private sector including MNCs
and protect the interests of farmer, seed producers and domestic industry.
3.
In
view of the fact that the Gene Revolution of 21st Century is largely in the
domain of private sector-particularly MNCs while the Green Revolution of the
1960s and 70s was in the public domain, it was unanimously agreed that a
proactive regulatory mechanism needs to be created at state level to monitor,
and regulate quality of technology, pricing of technology (trait value /
royalty) and as a whole to ensure fair trade in gene market-provision of
genes/traits of real economic value to seed industry at affordable trait
value/royalty.
4.
Royalty/trait value of the patented GM
technology should always be declined over the period i.e., at initial period of
technology introduction, it may be somewhat high, but as technology spreads in
large area over the period, the rate of trait value/royalty should come
down. Such provisions and methods are to be incorporated in the Acts
through necessary amendments.
5.
As
agriculture is a “State” subject in the Constitution of India, the state
governments should also explore possibility to bring-out a new act / law to
regulate various aspects of GM crop technology application ilncluding royalty
rates / trait value on patent technologies related to agriculture. In general,
trait value / royalty on patented technologies related to agriculture should be
about 5 to 15% for the maximum of ten years, beyond which such technologies
will be in the public domain. Like-wise compulsory licensing provision
should be incorporated n the act/law for accessing patented technologies by all
interested stakeholders. Further there should be a provision for appointment of
regulator for all matters of Bt / GM technologies in agriculture
6.
State
government should explore possibility to create a PPP model for accelerating
joint efforts to develop need-based GM crop technology for meeting farmers’
needs at affordable prices.
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