on GMOs + PESTICIDE POISONING + BIO-FUELs + AVIAN FLU + CLIMATE CHANGE

[Guest guest]

NEWS Bulletin from Indian Society For Sustainable Agriculture And Rural Development ********************************** On GMOs---- 1. ISAAA urges India to encash on global GM crop market 2. Development of transgenic food staples slow: World Bank On PESTICIDES-- 3. WB concerned over pesticide poisoning (WB report released on Feb 15, 2008 in

India) on BIO-FUELs--- 4. World Bank urges benefit assessment of BIO-FUEL 5. AVIAN FLU :- Livestock diseases new threat to farm sector: WB 6. CLIMATE CHANGE : WB for changes in farm carbon trading norms ---- ISAAA urges India to encash on global GM crop market http://www.financialexpress .com/news/ISAAA-urges-India-to -encash-on-global-GM-crop -market/274353/0 ASHOK B SHARMAPosted online: Monday , February 18, 2008 at 2014 hrs IST New Delhi, February 18: The global promoter agency for transgenic crops, International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) has urged India to take advantage of the growing world market for biotech crops currently

estimated at $ 7.5 billion. While a number of other transgenic crops, including some genetically modified (GM) food crops are in the pipeline for approval, India has so far approved a single transgenic crop, Bt cotton for commercial cultivation. According to the latest ISAAA report, adaptation of Bt cotton in India has recorded a 125-fold increase in the past six years since the first cultivation in 2002 as against the global increase for all GM crop cultivation in 12 years. ISAAA co-chair CD Mayee said : "Bt cotton cultivation helped India to increase its production and today India is the second largest cotton producer, next to China. India has now become net exporter of cotton." He, however, did not explain the reasons behind farmers' suicides in Maharashtra's cotton belt- Vidharbha.

The ISAAA 2007 report says that the approval and adaptation of Bt cotton by the two most populous countries in the world, India (1.1 billion people) and China (1.3 billion people) can greatly influence the approval, adoption and acceptance of biotech crops in other countries. According to the report in 2007, global biotech crop area increased by 12 per cent to reach 114.3 million hectare, the second highest area increase in the past five years. News transgenic crops were also added to the list as China reported plantation of 250,000 biotech poplar trees. Two countries, namely, Chile and Poland began cultivating GM crops, raising the number of biotech countries to 23 – number of developing countries (12) being more than the industrial countries (11). The ISAAA Chair, Clive James said :"biotech crops has the potentiality

to play a role in food, feed and fibre security, contributing to poverty alleviation and hunger, reducing environmental footprints in agriculture, mitigating climate change and contributing to cost-effective bio-fuels." When pointed out that the exporters would face problems as European Union, Russia and other countries would not accept Indian assignments citing genetic contamination of food, Clive said : "Russia is soon likely to allow cultivation of GM potato and the European Union will also follow suit by approving GM food crops." The ISAAA report was funded by the US based Rockefeller Foundation, Spain's Ibercaja Bank based in the Bt maize growing area in the country and Italy's Fundazione Bussolera Branca. The report contains a section - Political support for Bt cotton in India – in which

favourable quotes of the President, Pratibha Devisingh Patil, Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, Union finance minister, P Chidambaram and Union agriculture minister, Sharad Pawar are incorporated. It also contained a few experiences of select farmers across the world. The report also has references and quotes of political leaders from different countries. Usually the ISAAA annual report is released by mid-January. This year it was, however, delayed by a month. The ISAAA chair, Clive James came to India twice in succession to release 2006 and 2007 reports respectively. The ISAAA co-chair, CD Mayee welcomed the Supreme Court's decision of February 13, 2008 that lifted the ban on field trials of new GM crops He expressed the hope that adequate policy approach would create more enabling environment for GM crops and

biotech industry. The ISAAA report has predicted that in the next biotech decade 2006-15, strong growth is expected in Asia led by India, China and new countries like Vietnam and Brazil would lead the Latin American countries. Growth in biotechnology would continue in US, Canada and Australia through programmes like stacking of genes and expanded range of GM crops featuring agronomic, quality and other traits like drought resistance within three years, the report says. It also says that In Africa, the number of biotech countries would increase modestly, led by Egypt, Burikina Fasco and Kenya. There would be a slow to modest growth in European Union, with potential in eastern Europe. The use of biotech crops for bio-fuel led by US and Brazil and other countries would be a major new development.... -------- Development of transgenic food staples slow: World Bank http://www.financialexpress .com/news/Development-of -transgenic-food-staples-slow -World-Bank/274159/ ASHOK B SHARMAPosted online: Monday , February 18, 2008 at 0009 hrs IST New Delhi, Feb 17 The World Bank has expressed concerns over the slow progress in the development of transgenic food staples and called for the removal of related constraints. It

said that the transgenics or the genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have considerable potential for improving the productivity of smallholder farming systems and providing more nutritious foods to poor consumers in developing countries. "The environmental, food safety, and social risks of transgenics are controversial and therefore transparent and cost-effective regulatory systems that inspire public confidence are needed to evaluate risks and benefits case by case," it admitted. In its World Development Report-2008, it noted, "While Bt cotton has been rapidly and successfully adopted in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, farmers in Andhra Pradesh initially experienced a loss, largely because of the use of poorly adapted varieties (hybrids)." In general, the report said that Indian farmers growing Bt cotton used less insecticides and gained significant yield increases. The report, with its theme - Agriculture for Development - made a strong plea for commercial cultivation of Golden Rice. It said that in India alone, 0.2 to 1.4 million life-years could be saved annually through widespread consumption of Golden Rice and this would be more cost-effective than the current supplementary programme for vitamin A. The World Bank said that while developing transgenics pro-poor traits and orphan crops have been neglected. Investments in R & D on transgenics are concentrated largely in the private sector, driven by commercial interests in industrial countries. The public sector spending on R & D is much lower than the $1.5 billion spent each year by the four largest private Companies. The report also noted the complexities of trade in transgenics. Exporters fear the loss of overseas Markets and of a "GMO-free" brand. It called

for competence in managing and release and use of transgenics with open information disclosures, labelling (wherever feasible), and a consultative process, critical for harnessing public support. ------------ WB concerned over pesticide poisoning http://www.financialexpress .com/news/WB-concerned-over -pesticide-poisoning/274008/0 ASHOK B SHARMAPosted online: Sunday , February 17, 2008 at 2015 hrs IST New Delhi, February

17: The World Bank has noted overuse of chemical pesticides in developing countries leading to high health costs, which outweighed the benefits. It has identified that excessive use of nitrogenous fertilizers was one of the major cause of the farm sector's contribution to non-carbon dioxide emission to global warming process. In its recent World Development Report-2008, it said, "many farmers in developing countries overuse pesticides and do not take proper safety precautions because they do not understand the risks and fear smaller harvests. Making matters worse, developing countries seldom have strong regulatory systems for dangerous chemicals. Pesticides banned or restricted in industrial countries are used widely in developing countries. It further said that farmer perceptions of appropriate pesticide use varied with the setting and culture. It was common in Latin America for farmers to

believe that exposure to pesticides increases their tolerance and makes them stronger and more able to work and this often led to very high exposure, it said. In a potato-farming community in Carchi, Ecuador, researchers documented 171 pesticides poisoning per 100,000 people per year in the late 1990s – among the highest in the world. Pesticide poisoning there was the second largest cause of death for men (19%) and fourth for women (13%), the report noted and urged the national governments "to reduce accessibility to more dangerous agrochemicals through banning or taxing their use." In the Philippines in 1989-91 farmers commonly applied two insecticide doses per growing season, elevating their health costs by an average of 70% above those who did not use pesticides. The yield benefits from pesticide use were more than offset by the cost of illness. The report said that natural

control and integrated pest management showed promise. Farmers who focused on naturally preventing or suppressing pests and used pesticides only when necessary substantially reduced exposure while maintaining yields and increasing profitability. In Nicaragua farmers trained in appropriate pesticide use suffered lower exposure after two years and had higher net returns than did those not trained. "Likewise, Indian farmers growing Bt cotton used less insecticide and gained significant yield increases, with the additional advantage of more stable yields. While Bt cotton has been rapidly and successfully adopted in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, farmers in Andhra Pradesh initially experienced a loss, largely because of the use of poorly adapted varieties (hybrids?)," it said. The report also noted that nitrous oxide emissions from soils due the use of chemical fertilizers and methane from enteric

fermentation in livestock production each accounted for about one-third of agriculture's total non-carbon dioxide emissions and were projected to rise and further contribute to global warming.... ---------- World Bank urges benefit assessment of bio-fuel http://www.financialexpress .com/news/World-Bank-urges -benefit-assessment-of-biofuel /274167/0 ASHOK B SHARMAPosted online: Monday , February 18, 2008 at 0013 hrs IST New Delhi, Feb 17 The World Bank, admitting the competition between food and fuel crops for land and water, has asked the national governments to carefully assess economic, environmental, and social benefits and the potential to enhance energy security. In its World Development Report-2008, it said: "The challenge for developing country governments is to avoid supporting bio-fuels through distortionary incentives that might displace alternative activities with higher returns - and to implement regulations and devise certification system to reduce environmental risks." It suggested that the potential environmental risks from large scale bio-fuels production can be reduced through certification schemes for measuring environmentalaspects. It suggested a Green Bio-fuels Index of GHG reductions. The World Bank quoted that according to some

available estimates, current bio-fuel polices the world over, can lead to a five-fold increase of the share of bio-fuels in global transport energy consumption - from 1% today to around 5% to 6% by 2020. "The grain required to fill the tank of a Sports utility vehicle with ethanol (240 kg of maize for 100 litre ethanol) could feed one person for a year, so competition between food and fuel is real," the World Bank report said. It added that future bio-fuel technology may rely on dedicated energy crops and agricultural and timber wastes instead of food crops. "Technology to break cellulose into sugars distilled to produce ethanol or gasify biomass is not yet commercially viable - and will not be for several years. And some competition for land and water between dedicated energy crops and food crops will likely remain," the report said. It further said that second generation

bio-fuels using cellulosic technologies were likely to require even larger economies of scale, with investment costs in hundreds of millions of dollars just to build one plant. The report admitted that in industrial countries and till recently in Brazil, bio-fuel programmes were supported by high protective tariffs and large subsidies. These policies have caused land conversion away from food and led to an upward pressure on global food prices, severely affecting poor consumers. With a view to make bio-fuels compete with gasoline, industrial countries gave massive support and subsidies. According to recent estimates, more than 200 support measures costing around $5.5-7.3 billion a year in the US amount to $0.38-0.49 per litre of petroleum equivalent for ethanol and $0.45-0.57 for bio-diesel. In this context, the World Bank report questions - Are bio-fuels economically viable

without subsidies and protection? It answers: "The breakeven price for a given bio-fuel to become economical is a function of several parameters. The most important determining factors are the cost of oil and the cost of the feedstock, which constitute more than half of today's production costs. Other often more cost-effective ways of delivering environmental and social benefits need to be considered, especially through improvements in fuel efficiency."... --- AVIAN FLU :- Livestock diseases new threat to farm sector: WB http://www.financialexpress

..com/news/Livestock-diseases -new-threat-to-farm-sector-WB /274010/ ASHOK B SHARMAPosted online: Sunday , February 17, 2008 at 2057 hrs IST New Delhi, February 17: The World Bank has expressed concerns over the rising threat of diseases transmissible from farm animals and birds to humans in intensive livestock system. It made a reference to the deadly avian flu virus H5N1. The livestock revolution in developing countries has been associated with the growth of unprecedented concentration of animals in the urban and peri-urban areas of developing, with major implications for human and animal health, according to the bank's World Development Report-2008. It said that out of 1,415 species

of infectious organisms known to be pathogenic to humans, 61% were zoonotic or transmissible from animals to humans. Out of the 175pathogenic species of infectious organisms considered to be "emerging" (or re-emerging) in humans, 75% were zoonotic. The poor were specially exposed because of the proximity of their living spaces to farm animals, it said. Zoonotic diseases of significance in developing countries fall into three categories based on the form of transmission – foodborne (cysticercosis, brucellosis, tuberculosis), infectious (avian flu, tuberculosis) and vector-borne (rabies or trypanosomosis). Animal disease has long been a major economic issue. The losses from animal deaths from H5N1 strain of highly pathogenic avian flu and the costs of controlling it run into the tens of billions of dollars, according to the World Bank. Since late 2003 the H5N1 strain of avian flu

has been responsible for 4,544 documented outbreaks in poultry in 36 countries, including India, associated with 269 human cases and 163 fatalities, as of January 2007. The virus is not easily transmitted to and within humans. But the great concern is that it could mutate within either animal or human hosts to become easily transmissible from humans to humans, raising the possibility of a disastrous pandemic. According to the World Bank as vaccination were expensive and difficult for implementation under developing country conditions, controlling zoonotic diseases in animals vector becomes critical. The primary method of controlling animal diseases is to quickly cull diseased animals and others may have come in contact with, thus reducing the viral load. The bank's report also said that agriculture can pose major threats to health through increased incidences of malaria linked to stagnant water in irrigation.

Some of the developing world's major health problems such as HIV/AIDS and malaria can have disastrous effects on agriculture through the loss of labour, knowledge and assets. Hence coordinating agriculture and health interventions can yield significant welfare benefits for the poor in developing countries.---------------- CLIMATE CHANGE : WB for changes in farm carbon trading norms http://www.financialexpress .com/news/WB-for-changes-in -farm-carbon-trading-norms /274007/0 ASHOK B SHARMAPosted online: Sunday , February 17, 2008 at 2004 hrs IST New Delhi, February 17: The World Bank has called for a modification in the global carbon financing mechanism with a view to help agriculture mitigate climate change. It urged the climate negotiators to bring in such a modification when negotiations reopen for drafting a new climate treaty which would replace the Kyoto Protocol on its expiry on 2012. The bank holds agriculture as a major source of green house gas (GHG) emissions and says that it also has much untapped potential to reduce emissions through forest preservation and changes in land use and agricultural practices. In its recent World Development Report-2008, the bank said

that climate change would have far-reaching consequences for agriculture, which would disproportionately affect the poor. Greater risks of crop failures and livestock deaths have begun causing economic losses and undermining food security and the impact would become more severe as global warming continues. The report noted that the present Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under Kyoto Protocol has limited coverage of afforestation and reforestation. It does not have any incentive for forest preservation and preventing deforestation for use of forest land for agriculture. It said that such deforestation has contributed to about a fifth of global GHG emissions. The World Bank suggested that CDM should include new aspects and explore credits for sequestration of carbon in soils through the process conservation tillage farming. There should be carbon credits for "green" bio-fuels, agro-forestry in agricultural

landscapes, changes in land use pattern that sequester carbon, rehabilitation of degraded crop and pasture land, storage and capture technologies for manure, conversion of emissions into bio-gas and incentives for R & D for low emission technologies like new rice varieties and livestock breeds that emit less methane. The report identified five main factors that would affect farm productivity, namely changes in temperature, precipitation, carbon dioxide fertilization, climate variability and surface water run-off. "Initially, rising atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide benefit crop growth and could offset yield losses from heat and water stress, but this carbon fertilization may be smaller in practice than previously estimated from experimental data," it said. In tropical countries even a moderate rise in temperature by 1 degree Celsius could prove fatal for wheat and maize and a 2 degree Celsius rise

can lower rice productivity. The crop productivity in the temperate zone and in many industrial countries would however increase. But if the temperature increases by 3 degree Celsius, yield loss would be everywhere, more particularly in tropical countries. In parts of Africa, Asia and Central America yields of wheat and maize would decline by 20% to 40% as temperature rises by 3 to 4 degree Celsius, even assuming farm-level adjustments to higher average temperatures. With full carbon dioxide fertilization, the losses would be about half as large. Decline in rice yields would be lesser than in wheat and maize, the report said. Agriculture in low-lying coastal areas in some developing countries would also be damaged by flooding and salinisation caused due to sea level rise and salt water intrusions in groundwater aquifers. Lesser precipitation could create problems. Access to perennial surface water may be

vulnerable, particularly in the semi-arid regions. The World Bank, in this context, suggested the urgent need for adaptation to climate change. It however said that the costs of adapting to climate change estimated at tens of billions of dollars in developing countries far exceed the resources available. It would require significant transfers from industrial countries. The contributions to existing adaptation funds were only $130 to $300 million a year, it said. The report suggested that public sector can facilitate adaptation measures by revenues generated through carbon taxes based on the principle of the polluter pays. Some adaptation measures can be crop and livestock insurance, safety nets, development of new crops, dissemination of weather information, irrigation schemes, contingency planning. The World Bank quoted sources and said that agriculture accounted for 15% of

global GHG emissions. If deforestation in developing countries were to be taken into account the farm sector's emission would be 26% to 35% of global GHG emissions. Around 80% of the total emissions from agriculture, including deforestation were from developing countries, it said. Agriculture contributed about half of the global emissions of two of the most potent non-carbon dioxide GHGs – nitrous oxide emissions from soil due to use of nitrogenous fertilizers and methane from enteric fermentation in livestock production – each account for about one-third of farm sector's total non-carbon dioxide emissions. The rest of non-carbon dioxide emissions were from biomass burning, rice production and manure management, the report said. The bank's report, however, noted the role of agriculture in mitigation of climate change by way of carbon sequestration said "the quantitative estimates are uncertain."... ---------------

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