Editorial: Green Revolution 2.0

Indian scientists have successfully developed two genome-edited rice varieties, which showcase and demonstrate the R&D prowess of the country’s agricultural biotechnology scientists and possibly lead to the ushering in of a “Second Green Revolution”. It could take a few more years for the seeds to reach the farmers. The Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan urged the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) to expedite the process. Said to be the world’s first genome-edited rice varieties to be developed and are nearly ready for commercialisation, the DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala) and Pusa DST Rice 1 have twin benefits – to increase yield and address environmental challenges. That is, they strengthen food security while being environmentally sustainable.

Though India had achieved self-sufficiency in rice production by the late 1970s, thanks to the High-Yielding Variety Programme and eventually was able to clock net exports in both basmati and non-basmati varieties, challenges relating to productivity and yield per hectare persisted. The government was keen on reducing the rice acreage by 5 million acres while simultaneously increasing the yield by 10 million tonnes under the “Minus 5 Plus 10” formula so that land could be released for pulses and oilseeds. Here, the genome-edited varieties will play a major role as they boost yield by 20 per cent. Reducing rice acreage is critical for releasing cultivable land for pulses and oilseeds as India continues to rely heavily on imports. Despite being one of the largest producers of pulses, the nation is unable to meet its domestic demand. Two-thirds of the demand for edible oil is being met through imports. However, the release of land would not automatically lead to changes in crop patterns. Besides policy reforms which are tricky given the trade and political implications, a lot more needs to be done in terms of awareness and promotion and equipping farmers with knowledge and knowhow to make the shift possible and in sync with the proposed change in emphasis from food security (cereals) to nutrition security (wholesome diet including pulses, oil, etc).

It is now fairly well-established that while the Green Revolution helped achieve food security, it came at a substantial environmental cost in terms of soil degradation, excessive use of water and an increase in greenhouse gas emissions. In contrast, the new varieties are estimated to save 7,500 million cubic meters (repeat cubic meters) of irrigation water and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from rice cultivation by 20 per cent. Also, climate adaptability and improved stress tolerance make it possible for farmers to grow rice even in water scarcity, drought or saline/alkaline soil conditions.

There have been lingering doubts about genetically modified seeds and crops and their impact on the environment and people’s health. It is important to understand the distinction between genetically modified seeds, where foreign genes are introduced, and genome-edited seeds, like in conventional breeding methods, the modification does not involve the addition of foreign DNA. The ICAR’s rice varieties fall in the latter category, and therefore, the government has exempted them from biosafety regulations.

There are pressures the world over to have a liberal regulatory framework, but governments need to proceed with caution if they are cognizant of the possibility of “large, unintended consequences”. It would be unwise to let pragmatism overtake the need for science-based, rigorous and rational regulatory regimes and safety protocols at every stage.