Independent Scientists' Panel On GM Crops + Land Grab by Corporate & MNCs

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In This NEWS Bulletin ******************************* 1. NGOs Set Up Independent Scientists' Panel On GM Crops 2. SEZ Scheme - Land Grab by Corporate & MNCs - Farmers Lose Land - Danger to Food Security, says FARM FRONT COLUMN ---------------------------- NGOs form experts’ panel on GM crops http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=141387 ASHOK B SHARMA Posted online: Monday, September 25, 2006 at 0000 hours IST NEW DELHI, SEPT 23: A network of over 20 NGOs and consumer groups, who are not satisfied with the way the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) is handling the proposed field trials of Bt brinjal, has set up a panel of independent scientists to review the hazards relating to

this transgenic food crop. This panel consists of KP Parabhakaran Nair, visiting fellow of the Royal Society of Belgium, MS Chari, former director of Central Tobacco Research Institute, A Narayanan, principal, agriculture college, Acharya NGR Reddy University, Ramesh Bhatt, toxicologist formerly with the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), D Narasimgha Reddy, science policy expert formally with the Hyderabad Central University and Ghafoorunish, biochemist formerly with the NIN. Several NGOs and scientists had raised objections to the proposed field trials of Bt brinjal hybrids developed by Mahyco in collaboration with Monsanto. The GEAC, in response to these objections, set up an in-house panel headed by the Delhi University VC, Deepak Pental to review the case. “We do not have faith in this GEAC panel. We decided to set up a panel of independent experts,” said Kavitha Kuruganti of the Hyderabad-based

Centre for Sustainable Agriculture. The Supreme Court on last Friday, in its interim verdict, had cautioned GEAC not to approve field trials of any GM crops before the final judgement is passed in a writ filed by Aruna Rodrigues and others asking for a moratorium on GM crops. The Court has also asked GEAC to co-opt the services of independent experts.------- FARM FRONT Column SEZ mad run to destroy farmers http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=141385 ASHOK B SHARMA Posted online: Monday, September 25, 2006 at 0000 hours IST The government’s oft-repeated mantra for ensuring food security and well being of the farmers has turned out to be a lip service, particularly for gaining political

mileage. It real intention is clear— to benefit big corporate houses at the expense of farmers. Recently the Centre’s ambitious plan for setting up of special economic zones (SEZs) has become an object of criticism. The SEZ project, the brain child of commerce minister Kamal Nath, was passed on as an infrastructure project, capable of getting benefits of priority sector lending by banks. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), however could not buy the government’s logic. The RBI, of late, categorised SEZs as real estate projects, and therefore being not liable to the benefits of priority sector lending by banks. The legislation for facilitating SEZ project was passed by Parliament a year a ago, without much debate, as the government wanted to successfully project a rosy picture before the nation. The parliamentarians, most of whom come from rural areas, did not then ever think of the

dangerous consequences of this project. How much of the prime agriculture land would be sacrificed for setting up of SEZs across the country was then not discussed in Parliament. After the enactment of the legislation, the state governments went in a drive for acquiring prime agriculture lands from farmers to gift them to corporate houses at a platter. The farmers were given cheap prices for the land they sold. Since 2005, 267 SEZs have been approved by the commerce ministry across the country, out of which 41 are in Maharashtra alone. The area required for setting up SEZs vary from 1,000 hectare (ha) to 14,000 ha. So far, the land acquired for setting up of 67 multi-project SEZs total to 1.34 lakh ha. The colossal loss of prime agricultural land is likely to adversely affect the food security of the country. The Planning Commission has already admitted that it is not possible to achieve and sustain 4% growth

rate in agriculture, as no technological breakthrough in farming practices is in sight. Therefore, taking the Plan panel’s admission in right spirit, the only possible way to ensure food security is to conserve farm lands. But is the government moving in this direction? The state governments of UP, Haryana, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh are busy acquiring prime lands from farmers at cheap prices and gifting it to corporate houses for setting up of SEZs — without any concern for food security. What benefits accrue to corporate houses? They are given tax holiday, causing a loss of over Rs 1,700 billion to the exchequer. About 35% of the land acquired will be used for real business enterprise for producing products for exports. The rest 65% of the land acquired will be for real estate activities. The SEZs are not required to get any environmental clearance. What ever damage they

cause to environment will not be accounted for. Even if an SEZ fails to deliver and run at a loss, despite much pampering, the land will not be restored to agriculture. Once an SEZ, always an SEZ—is what the law says. The ownership of the SEZ may change, but it will remain as an SEZ. The farmer will remain to be displaced from his livelihood. Rarely, a rural folk can get employment in the SEZ as the business enterprise will be search of skilled and highly skilled labour. Even if he gets a job, his employment cannot be guaranteed—This is the uniqueness of SEZs which enjoy a special status by law. Faced with the barrage of criticism, the Union government has recently made some cosmetic changes in the process of approval for SEZs. But this is not enough to ensure that prime farm lands are not gifted away or farmers get a better price. There are about 552,692.26 sq km of wasteland

in the country. Has the corporate sector ever thought of developing these wastelands for setting up SEZs ? No. The Left front government of West Bengal wanted Tata Motors to use such lands in West Midnapore district, the but company refused and wanted 1,253 acre of prime farm land in Singur. The concept of SEZs is likely to prove fatal to food security and livelihood of farmers.

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