WEEKLY WATCH number 127 (9/6/2005) | |
from Claire Robinson, WEEKLY WATCH editor Dear all: There's inspiring news this week from India, where the entire state of Andhra Pradesh has banned Monsanto from marketing and selling its Bt cotton seeds after the failure of the crop and the company's refusal to pay compensation to farmers (ASIA). Another welcome event is former Health Canada scientist Dr Shiv Chopra, who was fired after he opposed the approval of Monsanto's bovine growth hormone, speaking out about the toxic filth that the chemicals and drug industries put into our food (FOOD SAFETY). Don't miss a fascinating lowdown on the shady world of corporate lobbying in Brussels (LOBBYWATCH). And read how the Brazilian and New Zealand government delegations - against the wishes of the people of those nations - sabotaged the biosafety negotiations in Montreal (CARTAGENA PROTOCOL LATEST). Claire [email protected] ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ + ANDHRA PRADESH BANS MONSANTO This is perhaps the first time that a state government has blacklisted a corporate entity from marketing its products. The AP government has suspended the joint director of agriculture, Warangal for complicity in fudging the Bt cotton records. + MONSANTO'S COTTON HAS DEFICIENCIES - NEW STUDY The researchers recommend that the government should investigate and that if they find Bt cotton is being damaged by bollworm attack, they should not only help the farmers get proper compensation but should also penalise "the companies for making false propaganda about their seed varieties". + SEEDS OF CONTROVERSY The article notes, "The All India Coordinated Cotton Improvement Project (AICCIP) corroborates, in its 2004-05 annual report, the arguments made in different studies by civil society organisations and independent scientific bodies about the failure of Bt cotton in the 2004 season. It also justifies the demand of Andhra Pradesh Bt cotton growers for compensation for crop loss." + INDIA: CALLS TO BAN GM CROPS INTENSIFY AFTER RATS SUFFER The dangers of GM were splashed across the front page of a leading national newspaper read by millions in India. + THAI WATCHDOG SET TO PROBE CROSS-BREEDING CLAIMS + BIOSAFETY TIMEBOMB IN CHINA ...observers warn that without proper regulatory oversight and agricultural management, GM rice cultivation poses a potential environmental time bomb. Compounding those fears, illegal planting of unapproved varieties of GM rice has been reported, despite government attempts to introduce a media blackout. China's Ministry of Agriculture dismissed these claims and promised to investigate the issue but the results of the enquiry are not available. Meanwhile, the local agricultural authorities in Hubei have allegedly punished people responsible for the leak. In May, the potential for negative media coverage was such that the Chinese government banned all media coverage of the GM rice leak until further notice. E |