The European Union is emerging as a new pressure group on the global geopolitical scene during the last few years. They have successfully managed to emerge out of the US shadow. The opposition to the American war on Iraq by the EU is a case in point, although it is difficult to oppose the only superpower in the world. Some days back, the European Parliament passed laws that will end an EU-wide ban on genetically modified (GM) foods.

For last five years the sale of new GM foods in Europe was one of the most hotly debated issues in Europe. The EU’s long moratorium angered the US and other interested parties as it deprived them of a huge export market in Europe. The matter was taken to the WTO, but the anti-GM politicians and activist groups were pressuring the EU to maintain the ban and reject US pressure. The lifting of the ban by the EU has again given rise to a debate on the use of genetically modified products. Differing views are being expressed in various forums. A stage has come now to look at this entire debate dispassionately.

During the last few years, opinion has been building up in favour of marketing GM products. Many reputed journals have come out with scientific studies establishing its advantages. GM products cover a wide spectrum of food and seeds for growing GM crops. The biotechnology industry as a whole is pointing to the success of GM products. But the environmentalist protest groups are up in arms against these products based on their studies. In the Indian context the debate is focused on Bt cotton.

According to the GM industry lobby, Bt cotton has been successful in tropical countries like India and China, apart from other western countries. The GM industry is hyping their success achieved, particularly in India. For them, the acceptance of Bt cotton technology by the government of India carries much significance.  India, unlike China, is a democracy and public acceptance of this technology will surely enhance the profile of their industry. The reputed journal Science (7 February 2003) has claimed an increase of 70 to 80 percent in the yields of cotton in India. But studies carried out in India reveal that Bt cotton has "failed'' on all major counts to ensure higher yields, reducing pesticide usage, and economically rewarding the farmer. Bt cotton trials and the entire process of monitoring, evaluation and approval is a close guarded secret. This data has been kept classified by multinationals.

Interestingly, many scientific journals have come out in support of GM products by carrying out analyses based on ‘favourable’ data sets and wrong premises. The issue gets restricted to what happens to cotton farmers in India and whether European consumers will benefit from GM foods, but the media's renewed interest seeks to promote the commercial interests of the biotechnology industry.

Nobody is rejecting the GM technology outright. The technology promises significant improvements in human health and the environment.  Genetic engineering has many advantages over traditional breeding: it is faster, more precise, and can introduce genes tailored to confer beneficial properties. The use of GM crops will make available farmland more productive, reducing the need to bring additional forest acreage into production. A few new products from genetically modified crops promises a leap forward in technology. In the past, the fate of recombinant DNA technology was determined by the dispassionate consideration of scientific facts â€â€