NEW DELHI: As trade negotiations between India and the United States commence in Washington, the Coalition for a GM-Free India—a consortium of farmers and civil society organizations—has urged the Indian government to prohibit imports of genetically modified (GM) cotton seed oil, dried distillers’ grains (DDGs) for animal feed, and soybean oil from the US. In a letter addressed to several Union ministers, including Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, the Coalition emphasized the importance of maintaining GM as a non-tariff trade barrier.
The United States has long advocated for an assessment of non-tariff barriers concerning American food and agricultural products. The Coalition contends that permitting these imports would enable a covert entry of GM foods into India, which is counter to existing laws prohibiting such practices. The introduction of these products could lead to the legitimization of transgenic food within the country.
While India managed to safeguard its position by preventing the import of corn and soybean—both of which are genetically modified in the US—during an interim agreement on February 7, it nonetheless agreed to reduce or eliminate tariffs on various American agricultural goods, including DDGs and soybean oil. This decision has faced criticism from agricultural organizations concerned that the DDGs will primarily originate from genetically engineered American corn.
In its correspondence, the Coalition raised alarms over multiple American organizations pushing for access to the Indian market for GM agricultural products, either directly or indirectly. The Coalition has called on the government to distance itself from any entities advocating for US interests in GM crops under their memoranda of understanding with US pro-GM organizations.
“These entities are akin to modern-day East India Companies, establishing a presence in India and striving to open our markets for American GM products, thereby undermining our sovereignty,” the Coalition stated.
