Background Information: The US government is considering whether to allow a genetically modified (GM) version of the American chestnut tree, called Darling 58, to be grown in the wild. The creators of Darling 58, citing conservation of the species, hope to win the approval of the US government for the unregulated release of the variety into the wild. At the same time, vested interests in the timber and biotechnology businesses (behemoths like Monsanto, now Bayer) are using the chestnut tree as a “test case” to sway public opinion.
Perilous Modification
Shovanlal Chakraborty article, Perilous modification originally appearing March 22, 2023 in the Millennium Post, outlines how critics have warned that the tree could dangerously alter the environment, making indigenous species vulnerable. He urges a consideration of the risks, including contamination of other trees and threats to animal and insect species, and advises researchers not be swayed by timber and biotechnology businesses.
The article stresses an urgent need to identify technological threats before they are implemented so that some controls are created, including the possibility of a moratorium. This is due to the immense potential dangers and far-reaching consequences and that, if released, it would be impossible to track and reverse the spread of the GE Tree.
The article also stresses that we must not forget the lessons taken from Monsanto’s Bollgard cotton failure:
Contextually, Monsanto’s Bollgard cotton fiasco, supposedly resistant to the dreaded pink bollworm, a decade ago in India, comes to mind. At the time of the release of this expensive seed, many Indian experts had clearly warned, but in vain, the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee in New Delhi that the pink bollworm would mutate, more deadly insects would emerge, and Bollgard would fail. What happened next was that two-thirds of Bt cotton was attacked by white flies, and in Punjab, cotton farmers lost more than Rs 4,000 crore, and 15 farmers committed suicide. What happened in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra was far worse. The failure of Bt cotton resulted in the mass suicide of cotton farmers. The very high seed price, coupled with the high fertiliser cost that Bollgard needed, led farmers to bankruptcy when the crop failed. It was the most sensational blot on Indian agriculture, making it global news, when thousands of cotton farmers committed suicide. In 2010, Monsanto admitted Bollgard’s failure, packed up, and left India.… …Patents will protect GE trees, and companies selling GE trees will determine what conditions must be met to make a profit. We must be careful in dealing with them and not allow another Bollgard to happen again.
The entire article can be read on the website of Millennium Post.