| Global pesticide lobby behind GM opposition in India - claim (21/11/2006) | |
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1.'Pesticide lobby opposing BT brinjal' GM WATCH COMMENT: According to the pro-GM scientists in this article, the 'global lobby of pesticide industry' and its 'invisible hand' are responsible not just for the opposition to Bt crops currently rocking India, but the public interest litigation (PIL) on GM that has led the Supreme Court to call a halt to new GM field trials. Anyone who knows the PIL petitioners - people such as Aruna Rodrigues, Devinder Sharma, and PV Satheesh - will regard such accusations as not just ludicrous but truly shameful. Indeed, it can only prompt speculation that this is a case of projection, ie that if the hidden hand of industry is to be found anywhere, it is behind the accusers. And note too how the same scientists claim that "the farmers who grow BT cotton are suffering" only "because of improper use of BT programmes" and poor pest management. How sick is that? First Bt cotton is hyped to the skies as a silver bullet for pest problems, not to mention a real income earner for poor farmers, despite the fact that they're forced further into penury if they buy the expensive seeds. Then the resultant suffering is blamed on the farmers' own stupidity! Much closer to the mark was a documentary recently shown at a film festival in Delhi: "'3-year Fraud', made by poor farming women from Andhra Pradesh, was on controversies involving seed companies such as Monsanto-Mahyco, who sold Bt cotton seeds in Warangal district. All promises were broken and each assertion was disproved, but there was neither any legal action against the seed companies nor any compensation for losses, which led to dejection, and even suicide. Some farmers resorted to violence; they broke down the local seed distribution outlet. While one of the farmers said, "Thieves rob you at night, but these corporations rob you in broad daylight, right under your noses!", another farmer wondered aloud why nobody associated with Bt seed companies had ever committed suicide." The same question might well be asked about India's GM supporting scientists, who among other things stand to benefit from the GM research projects now being pushed as part of the "Indo-US Knowledge-Initiative in agriculture". (item 2) 1.'Pesticide lobby opposing BT brinjal' DHARWAD: Many scientists of the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Dharwad, attributed the opposition to BT brinjal to 'global lobby of pesticide industry' to curb research on BT breed crops. This opinion of scientists will certainly infuriate ryot associations, which have begun war-like campaigns against agri-universities and multinational companies like Monsanto, Mayco, Carbide and Enron. Ryots associated with Hasiru Sene are said to have threatened the UAS of destroying a testing field of BT brinjal in Dharwad, as it was being handled by farmers of Coimbatore. Besides UAS in Dharwad, Tamil Nadu University of Agriculture Sciences, Coimbatore, and Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi have been funded by US-aid organisations to develop the 'controversial' BT brinjal in India. Farmers said that food, unlike cotton, will take genetic engineering chemicals directly into the human digestive system. Hence any research on BT foodgrains or vegetables was life-threatening. Quoting the revelations of toxicology studies, Dr Hanchinal, Director of Research, UAS said that the quantity of toxin consumed through foodgrains or vegetables grown through chemical farming, was more than BT hybrid products. BT is nothing but protein, which dilutes toxin in the digestive system. Where complaints regarding BT cotton are concerned, it is because of not adoption the Integrated Pest Management. And, because of improper use of BT programmes, the farmers who grow BT cotton are suffering, he added. On condition of anonymity, the majority of UAS scientists did not agree with the farmers opinion that Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), Review Committee for Genetically Modified crops (RCGM) and Biotechnology Regulatory Committee of Union Ministry of Environment and Forestry are 'villains of the piece'. Suspecting the 'invisible hand' of pesticide MNCs regarding a public interest suit filed in the Supreme Court against genetic manipulation, they said BT crops required very less pesticide to grow as they contain residual BT gene, which would not affect beneficiary insects. He said scientists of UAS have not benefited from US-based funding. 2.dia, US hope for early resumption of Doha round India and the US today expressed the hope for an early resumption of the Doha round of negotiations and agreed to make all efforts to achieve an ambitious, balanced, and pro-development outcome. An agreement reached between Agriculture and Food Minister Sharad Pawar and visiting US Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said that the two countries stood united for removal of asymmetries and distortions in international agricultural trade as emphasised in the Doha round of talks. Both the countries are for enhanced market access with adequate and effective safeguards for food and livelihood security along with the establishment of level playing field, it added. In a meeting today, they reviewed the implementation of the Indo-US Knowledge-Initiative in agriculture and resolution of bilateral trade and related sanitary and phytosanitary issues. They expressed satisfaction over the progress made in these areas. They recognised the long history of cooperation between the two countries in agriculture and hoped that the knowledge initiative would provide the much needed impetus to address the new challenges and opportunities facing modern agriculture. In a short period of five months, 19 Indian agricultural scientists have received training in the US in the areas of biotechnology, water management, food processing, distance learning and library systems. For 2007, about 12 additional Indo-US Borlaug Fellowships are planned. The knowledge shared between India and the US in agriculture will be put in practice through joint collaborative projects aimed at development of cool chain for food, vegetables and fish with the involvement of research bodies located at Ludhiana and Kochi. A project on pea genomics has been initiated in India as a follow up of a workshop on genomics-enabled molecular breeding in legume organised by University of California, Davis. Besides, the two countries agreed to start research projects on introducing resistance to drought, salinity and virus diseases in crop varieties through transgenic modes. Four projects have been identified under the Indo-US collaboration in water management. Opportunities for the US investment in post-harvest infrastructure are to be identified by both sides in preparation for the setting up of a trade and investment mission. Bilateral issues in agricultural trade, notably sanitary and phytosanitary norms, are being addressed by the sub-group on agriculture under the India-US Trade Policy Forum. The two sides reviewed the status and agreed to move forward expeditiously. On Plant Quarantine issues, the two sides expressed satisfaction over the resolution of problems relating to import of almonds from the US. For export of Indian mangoes to the US, India urged that country to complete all formalities before the start of 2007 mango season. In the field of agricultural marketing, the two sides hoped that the work plan prepared under the memorandum of understanding signed between the US department of agriculture, the National Institute of Agricultural Marketing, Jaipur, in July, 2006 would be complementary to the agricultural reforms being carried out in India. The US expertise in creating modern marketing infrastructure could be used for capacity building and creating model markets in selected states. |
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