WEEKLY WATCH number 221
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from WEEKLY WATCH editor, Claire Robinson
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Dear all:

Well known biotech corporations, including BASF, DuPont, Monsanto, and Syngenta, are holding back about their involvement in U.S. biowarfare research, while U.S. universities are carrying out lucrative GM bioweapons work. Any Third World university doing the same would probably have been nuked by now! (BIOWARFARE RESEARCH)

There's an important action you can take to prevent the US overturning state GM bans (THE AMERICAS). You can have your say whatever country you are in.

Claire [email protected]
www.gmwatch.org / www.lobbywatch.org

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CONTENTS
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ASIA - BT COTTON NIGHTMARE
INDIA - GM 'REGULATORS' BLINK
ASIA - OTHER NEWS
AFRICA
EUROPE
THE AMERICAS
AUSTRALASIA
FOOD SAFETY
MEDIAWATCH
NEW RESEARCH
BIOWARFARE RESEARCH
ZOMBIE CROPS

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ASIA - BT COTTON NIGHTMARE
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+ INDIA: BT COTTON CAN KILL FARM ANIMALS, ANDHRA GOVT CAUTIONS FARMERS
The Andhra Pradesh government has advised farmers not to allow animals to graze on Bt cotton fields after four institutes reported the presence of toxins. Goats and sheep grazing on post-harvest Bt cotton fields were found dead in 2006 and 2007. Dr L Mohan, director, Andhra Pradesh animal husbandry department, said: "The deaths have resulted in huge economic losses for farmers."
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=8023
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=8041

+ INDIA: FARMERS' WIDOWS MEET PRESIDENT, URGE BLANKET BAN ON BT COTTON
A delegation of farmers' widows from the Indian state of Maharashtra's cotton growing belt of Vidarbha, have had an audience with the President of India Dr APJ Abdul Kalam to draw his attention to their helpless condition following their husbands' suicides. The widows broke down while narrating their tales. An article on indianmuslims.info reports:

The costly and improper Bt cotton seeds, which are not suitable for dry land farming [the most common form of farming in India], are being freely propagated and sold at a very high cost which is virtually killing the farmers due to high input cost and low yield. There must be a blanket ban on Bt cotton seeds in the dry land farming areas. This has to be done immediately in order to save the farmers from undue exploitation and cheating. There must be a ban on sale and misleading advertisements of Bt cotton seeds in the dry land areas of Maharashtra where such seeds are not useful. The so-called upgrade technology is killing the farmers.
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=8022
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=8028
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=8019

+ PAKISTAN: CATHOLIC AID AGENCY RAPS BT COTTON
Farmers have related their disappointing experiences with Bt cotton at a press conference in Pakistan organised by the Catholic aid agency, Caritas. Currently 3,000 farmers in southern Punjab are involved in Caritas programmes. Pakistan's ministry of food and livestock approved Bt cotton only in April this year, and provincial governments have yet to give approval, although the GM seeds have been available illegally.
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=8024

+ NEW PATHOGENS WITH BT COTTON
Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) plant pathologists Drs HS Rewal and Chander Mohan have warned about a high incidence of pathogen-alternaria blight as well as the development of other fungal and bacterial pathogen problems as a result of Bt cotton.
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=8042

More research findings on Bt cotton
http://www.lobbywatch.org/p1temp.asp?pid=86&page=1

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INDIA - GM 'REGULATORS' BLINK
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+ INDIA'S GM REGULATORS BLINK
Despite predictions to the contrary, India's Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) failed to approve multi-locational field trials of GM food crops. Those on the agenda for Friday's meeting included six Bt rice hybrids, three Bt okra hybrids, two GM corn crops, and eight Bt eggplant hybrids. The committee asked the GM seed companies to submit validated protocols for detection of 0.01% level of GM contamination, before it considered proceeding with the field trials.
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=8046

+ GEAC GETS CONTEMPT OF COURT WARNING
The GEAC's failure to approve GM food crop trials may well have been influenced by a contempt of court warning it received on the eve of its meeting. The warning pointed out that the granting of fresh approvals for field trials represents a clear attempt to violate the Orders of the Supreme Court and will trigger legal action.
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=8044

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