*samyukt Kisan Morcha Warns Against Any Release Of Gene-edited Seeds*

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) strongly opposes the release of any patented seed technologies and of unsafe gene edited rice varieties. The Union Government's move to release and multiply seed of two gene-edited (GEd) rice varieties: DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala) and Pusa DST Rice 1 threatens India’s seed sovereignty and Indian farmers’ rights. Reports indicate that seed multiplication for Pusa DST Rice 1 is already underway ahead of the coming Rabi sowing season. SKM opposes any release of GEd seeds and the GEd rice varieties and calls on the Government of India to stop this process before it becomes irreversible. for the reasons set out below.

*Government of India’s Promotion of Patented Seed Technologies is Highly Objectionable - It will Erode Indian farmers’ Seed Sovereignty:* The gene edited rice varieties that Indian government is contemplating to release soon are based on patented technologies. Seed-saving rights for these varieties remain undisclosed. India’s seed sovereignty will get eroded by IPR related concerns, and this goes against the Parliament’s law-making intent when it comes to seeds and patents in India: Corteva Agriscience holds licensing control over the CRISPR-Cas9 technology used to develop these varieties and the terms on which Indian government accessed this technology has not been disclosed. SKM demands that the government not push Indian farmers towards patented seed technologies, using the facade of free seeds as far as individual farmers are concerned. 

*Gene Edited Rice Varieties will Endanger India's Centuries-old Rice Biodiversity Heritage:* India is the centre of origin and diversity for rice. There are farmer-bred landraces that have proven their salinity and climate resilience over generations, at zero cost. The introduction of gene-edited rice will contaminate and displace this indigenous diversity, which has evolved over time through natural processes and ingenuity of farmers. Such contamination will also jeopardise the nation’s trade security, with China already stalling rice imports from India, citing GMO contamination.

*Gene Edited rice varieties will halt India’s organic exports:* India is the largest rice exporter in the world- accounting for over 30% of global rice exports. Gene editing is banned in organic certification under the EU's NGT Regulation or the USDA's National Organic Program. Releasing these varieties will exclude Indian rice from organic export markets at a time when the Government itself has spoken of expanding India's organic exports. 

*Gene Edited Rice Varieties are Unsafe - these Varieties have By-passed Biosafety Norms:* SDN-1 and SDN-2 gene-editing techniques were exempted from GMO biosafety Rules in 2022, in an unscientific and irresponsible move by the Government of India. As a result, Kamala and Pusa DST Rice have been passed without any kind of biosafety environmental testing. Planting untested technology in the fields will have unforeseen consequences, the costs of which  farmers will have to bear. The lack of testing is especially dangerous as the claim of "precision" in gene editing technology is unfounded. Gene editing tools can cause unintended, off-target mutations in the genome. Independent scientific analysis of the trial data for both varieties has found significant unintended genetic changes. Such unintended changes threaten crop production, for which there is no compensation clause,  as well as contamination of other varieties. Such exemption from GMO regulation is unlawful and is a means for the biotechnology lobby to circumvent and bypass necessary testing, which was established after lengthy public deliberation on genetic modification, to hasten profiteering by corporates trying to take control of established food production chains in India. 

*Claims around Kamala and Pusa DST Rice are Unsupported in ICAR's own Trial Data:* The Coalition for a GM-Free India's scrutiny of ICAR's Annual Progress Reports has exposed serious gaps and irregularities in the trials for both varieties. Instead of responding to this scientific scrutiny, the Government's response has been to dismiss the critics rather than address the data. ICAR coordinated AICRP’s data further reveals that gene-edited rice actually performs worse than existing indigenous rice varieties. For example, both the GEd rice varieties show lower milling percentage and head rice recovery compared to their parent lines, along with higher incidences of disease in trials. Instead of addressing the unscientific rigging of results, Ministry of Agriculture has ironically come up with a gag order on even scientific publications. 

Gene edited rice is a Trojan Horse that promises higher yields and target qualities but actually carries a much larger set of problems. It is a Trojan Horse that is trying to circumvent farmers’ resistance against GM seeds. SKM calls upon all farmer organisations and citizens across the country to oppose this move. 

SKM represents the interests of the largest segment of farmers of India and stresses that progress in agriculture must be for the benefit of farmers and not at the cost of farmers. Hence, SKM demands enhancement of budgetary allocation for agricultural research to standards that befit a predominantly agrarian nation like India; the current allocation is paltry and hence leads to dependence on imported research outputs. SKM demands strengthening of basic as well as advanced research capability in the Public Sector so that the fruits of research and development are available to Indian farmers free-of-cost and without patent-control and profiteering by multi-nationals and corporates.

  

SKM warns against any release of GEd seeds (which are the same as other GM seeds). SKM demands that the government put farmers' rights, food safety and India's seed sovereignty first, and desist from any release of any such Gene Edited rice varieties. SKM also calls upon the Government of India to urgently include SDN-1 and SDN-2 gene editing techniques under full biosafety regulations.