Title: National biosafety system for regulating agricultural biotechnology in India

Authors: Sheetal Menon; Shishir Kumar Jha

Addresses: Shailesh J. Mehta School of Management, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, India ' Shailesh J. Mehta School of Management, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, India

Abstract: Agricultural biotechnology has the potential to improve crop productivity, increase farm incomes, and alleviate food security concerns in India. Adoption of such technologies has resulted in the need for establishing biosafety regulatory systems to reduce and eliminate potential risks arising from agribiotechnology on plant, animal and human life, environment and biodiversity. As a Party to the Convention on Biological Diversity and Cartagena Protocol, India has taken the role of strengthening her biosafety system very seriously. In this paper, we have undertaken a comparative study of the existing national biosafety framework (NBF) in place in India, with the UNEP-GEF Framework implemented across 126 countries. On comparison with the UNEP-GEF Framework, the Indian experience has been admirable, but not without its own challenges. The purpose of this exercise is to identify challenges within the system, in an endeavour to transform the Indian biosafety regulatory system into a predictable, transparent and sustainable system.

Keywords: national biosafety systems; agricultural biotechnology; Convention on Biological Diversity; Cartagena Protocol; national biosafety framework; UNEP-GEF Framework; Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India; Biosafety Clearing House; Ministry of Environment and Forests; MoEF; Department of Biotechnology; genetically modified organisms; GMOs; living modified organisms; Bt cotton.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBT.2016.077941

International Journal of Biotechnology, 2016 Vol.14 No.2, pp.151 - 169

Accepted: 23 Feb 2015
Published online: 23 Jul 2016 *

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