Genetically-modified chilli and soybean have been found growing in farms in the North and Central Plains, fuelling concerns over the possible spread of the banned crops.

Through monopoly status, foreign suppliers can raise seed prices and drive hundreds of millions of Chinese farmers bankrupt and trigger social unrest, the China Business News (CBN) reported Monday, citing Jiang Gaoming, an ecologist at the Institute of Botany under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The debate on genetically modified (GM) brinjal variety continues to generate heat. Former managing director of Monsanto India, Tiruvadi Jagadisan, is the latest to join the critics of Bt brinjal, perhaps the first industry insider to do so.

NEW DELHI: With Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh's final decision on commercial cultivation of Bt Brinjal expected Wednesday, Indian scientists, politicians and environmental actitivists remain sharply divided over the issue of allowing the genetically modified vegetable to hit the market.

The CPI on Tuesday sought the Prime Minister's intervention to restrain Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh from announcing any decision favouring Bt Brinjal on Wednesday, saying the opposition of several state governments has not been considered.

As India decides on whether to approve its first genetically modified (GM) crop, three experts consider if GM offers a solution to the global food crisis or represents a threat to biodiversity and the future of agriculture.