New Delhi, Oct 7: Biotechnology experts at The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) on Friday ruled out GM crops being hazardous and say that they are the need of the hour to ensure food security.

Speaking at the Media Colloquium of the World Sustainable Development Summit 2016, which is underway here since Wednesday, Dr. Vibha Dhawan said, "I support science and there had been all the required tests to prove that the GM crops are safe and a step towards the food security."

On gene editing, Dr. Dhawan said, "The method is providing a precise way to modify crops in hopes of making them yield more food and resist drought and disease more effectively. Research in the past year has shown that the resulting plants have no traces of foreign DNA, making it possible that they will not fall under existing regulations governing genetically modified organisms and will sidestep many of the consumer concerns over these GMO."

"It is not possible to ban all forms of pesticides, as there are numerous plant diseases, unless and until we have suitable bio-pesticides", said Dr. Dhawan, senior director of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), when asked about the Meghalaya and Sikkim model of "organic farming" and ban on chemicals.

Another GM crop expert of TERI, Dr Nutan Kaushik however added, "No technology is enough and final to ensure food security and safety. We have to keep finding new solutions."

The experts also called upon the scientific community from across the world to come up with suitable replacements for chemical-based pesticides and fertilisers, before legislation to ban agricultural chemicals considered harmfull to health and environment can be imposed across the country.

She urged like-minded organisations to propagate the message of bio-pesticides which can replace chemical pesticides.

Dr Kaushik said that GM mustard would be a step forward for "food oil security."