White lie about Bt cotton

Bt cotton, the first transgenic non-food crop, is designed to protect crops from pests and cut spraying costs. It contains a strand of genetic material from the naturally occurring soil micro-organism Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), and it has been successfully grown since 1996 in the USA, Australia, China, India and many other countries.
Before the arrival of Bt technology; cotton farmers around the globe had the only option of chemical pesticides as weapon to combat major chewing pests like Bollworm known as "Sundi". It is a fact that Bt provides essentially 100% control of most of the sundies in cotton crops; while supplemental foliar insecticide sprays are occasionally required to keep away other sucking pests like Jassid, white fly and so on from causing excessive damage in Bt fields.
It is worth knowing that no Bt cottonseed developer has ever claimed that it would also control sucking pests. Therefore, it is wrong to accuse the Bt Cotton that its illegal cultivation of non-approved varieties in Sindh is not providing protection against Jassid and leaf curl virus (CLCV) disease; which is causing huge damages in cotton fields.
Currently, systematic propaganda is being carried out by many scare-mongers in different medias, who want to create phobia and ambiguity in the public's mind by misleading information about Bt seeds technology.
Another big white lie is that milk and poultry products, derived from animals consuming feed derived from GM crops, may invite serious health hazards in humans. Perhaps the most telling fact about the safety of plant biotechnology is that there isn't a single documented case of an illness caused by foods developed with biotechnology since they first came on the market in the mid-1990s.
There is no doubt that cotton crop in a number of districts in Sindh and South Punjab has been attacked by a deadly virus - the cotton leaf curl virus (CLCV); but you cannot blame it on the Bt technology; varieties susceptible to CLCV will be infected regardless of other traits ('e.g.' Bacillus thuringiensis, (Bt)), incorporated.
Quality conscious companies, bound by regulatory procedures, will always ensure the selection of varieties resistant to CLCV or other diseases for incorporating traits.
Biosafety Guidelines, once approved, will also govern the approval process, starting from regulatory trials to determining the performance and safety of products derived through genetic engineering. Any activity on their part that contravenes the laws of the land and, in most cases, their strict business ethics will erode their reputation and credibility.
On the other hand, unscrupulous elements currently involved in the trade of unauthentic Bt Cotton seeds, without having to fear their reputation or laws of the land are only worried about the unlawful gains on the cost of poor farmers. Neither quality is their priority nor do they have the capacity to ensure it.
Under the Seed Act 1976 and Plant Quarantine Rules 1967; no one is allowed to cultivate any imported Bt, conventional or hybrid cottonseeds or plants without approval. Therefore its cultivation is a criminal act. So it is an obligation for those who have information about such an activity in their region to report to the concerned government agencies immediately.
The performance of Bt Cotton is dependent on agro-climatic conditions, the genotype of hybrids and management of crops. In some areas, certain Bt varieties may be inappropriate for local growing conditions and may fail to produce satisfactory yields. For example, under high night temperatures and under hot dry conditions, bolls may drop off the plants; some farmers in India reported that the bolls set erratically or in irregular patterns.
That's why approved varieties of Bt cotton, after been tested in different agro-climatic conditions must be cultivated.
Even as the patrons of biotechnology, industry and academia included, are trying their best to convince the general public about the benefits of Bt technology; some are attempting to drive home the threats of an alien invasion into agriculture. However, risk/benefit approach to biotechnology is preferable. If the risks of Bt cotton can be managed and the benefits are significant, farmers should be able to use this crop.
In short Biotech products are being used for human consumption all over the world. Most industrialised countries and many developing countries have native biotechnology crop research and development programs like the NIBGE in Pakistan. There are currently no globally accepted biotech standards or guidelines for the evaluation of the safety of biotech products.
Therefore, in the absence of broadly accepted standards, most of the countries have adopted their own safety regulations and standards with respect to biotech products.
Rather than blaming government institutes and undermining Bt crops technology, it is vital that we must understand the promises made by this emerging technology and need to show enlightened moderate behaviour.