India’s trade negotiators and policymakers are once again confronting a familiar controversy: whether genetically modified crops should be allowed in through the gates of a bilateral trade deal with the US. The loudest objections focus on fears of the country being swamped with GM soybean and corn imports, displacing domestic produce and hurting farmers. It is an emotive argument, but one that misses the real opportunity: technology.With the right safeguards, India does not need bulk GM crop imports. It needs access to GM seed technology that can be licensed to domestic seed producers, as happened with Bt Cotton. That transformation offers a clear precedent.
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