Letter to Chief Minister, Orissa on the Bt Cotton issue & Press Release.

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To

The Hon'ble Chief Minister, Orissa

Chief Ministers Office,

State Secretariat,

Sachivalaya Marg,

Bhubaneswar..

DT:01.05.08

Respected Sir,

We are in receipt of the minutes of the 83rd

meeting of the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), held on the 2nd

of April 2008 at the Office of the Ministry of Environment & Forest (MoEF)

under the Chairmanship of Shri B R Prasheera, Additional Secretary, MoEF,

and Chairman GEAC. A copy of the same is attached for your kind perusal.

Paragraph 4.1.12 of the said document states,

"….Orissa State can be included in the Central

Zone for commercialization of Bt Cotton after completion of appropriate testing

and evaluation procedures."

As per Memo no: 1687/ 09.08.2006 issued by your

office, it was clearly stated that, "Bt Cotton cultivation in the State of

Orissa should

be discouraged". The State Agriculture Minister has assured in the floor

of the Assembly on 22nd June 2007 that "I will not allow the

entry of GM crops into Orissa". Your views are reflected and appreciated

by the farmers, social activists, intellectuals and academicians of the State

who have voiced their displeasure after coming to know of the various hazards

associated with this imprecise technology. However your sincere efforts to

improve the lot of the farmers, ensure food safety and sovereignty and preserve

the rich biodiversity of Orissa has been callously disregarded by the GEAC.

In a move very similar to your concerned

efforts, the State Government of Kerala has written to the Central

Agriculture ministry asking that Kerala be kept GM-Free. The Kerala State

Biodiversity Board has also resolved to demand for a ban of the release of

GM crops into the environment and GM foods into the market to protect the

health, agriculture and biodiversity of the nation. This was declared at a two

day National Seminar convened by the Kerala State Biodiversity Board on 10 and

11 April 2008 at Trivandrum

on GM crops & Biodiversity Conservation, attended by more than 150

delegates consisting of representatives of different State Biodiversity Boards,

farmers and farmer organizations, agricultural scientists, educationists,

students, consumer organizations, industry and civil society organizations.

Interestingly Dr Pushpa M Bhargava, Vice

Chairman, Knowledge Commission, and one of the experts appointed by the Supreme

Court to supervise the biosafety protocol of the GEAC, has aired his misgivings

about the technology. Paragraph 4.1.6 states, "Dr

Bhargava, in his opening statement informed, he would not be able to support

release of GM crops for commercialization or field trials without examining the

biosafety data and other available alternatives."

Paragraph 8.5.2 (1.0) of the same document points

out that, "Dr. Bhargava requested for some time

to detail out his concerns related to release of GM crops in the environment.

He opined that agriculture security of India is utmost important and

therefore, it is necessary to consider alternatives before taking a decision on

a need for GM crop. He indicated that the risk associated with GM crop include

gene flow issues, marker gene, experimental errors, impact on useful insect

micro-flora, change in surface properties of soil, reproductive interference,

question of second side change and its mapping, selective transcription/

translation, change in nature of protein itself, change in metabolic balance,

development of resistance, increased requirement of refugia, emergence of super

weeds, phenotypic changes, toxicity of GM crops especially in human gut,

pliotropic effect, tolerance to physical factors and transfer of organisms to

another country"

The Indian experience

with Bt Cotton in the States of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana has only reinforced the apprehensions

voiced by the scientists that there would be problems with toxicity, insect

resistance, emergence of new pests, contamination and also adverse effects on

the ecology. Further the high cost of Bt Cotton seeds coupled with erratic

yield and high cost of pesticides have forced farmers in the cotton belt to

commit suicide. The loss of cattle and adverse effect on human health has also

been observed and documented.

Bt cotton trials and

also cultivation has been going on in Orissa without the permission of the GEAC

nor even the State Govt.

We had hoped that the

comments of your Office as well as the statement of the Hon'ble Minister for

Agriculture would have a sobering effect on the GEAC. But to our utter surprise

the GEAC has preferred to overlook the protest of the State and also the bitter

experience in other States and given the go ahead for the commercial

cultivation of Bt Cotton. Considering that the GEAC is also involved with Multi

Location Restricted Trials (MLRT) of Bt Brinjal, Bt Okra and GM Rice, we are

extremely worried about the emerging scenario.

We would therefore

request your good self to kindly oppose this move of the GEAC to impose GM

crops in Orissa without a proper debate and in absence of adequate biosafety

data and keep your commitment towards keeping Orissa GM free. We

also request you to kindly make our State's position clar to the Central

Agriculture Minister as well as to the Genetic Engineering approval Committee

so as to maintain our GE-Free advantage. Your action will remove the dark clouds gathering over the

future of small and marginalized farmers of the State, protect their lives and

livelihood, and also help in preserving the rich biodiversity of Orissa. The

consumers too will be spared a highly toxic diet.

 

Thanking you,

 

Respectfully yours,

For Coalition For GM Free Orissa.

Prof Radhamohan,

Retired State Information Commissioner,

Sri Natabara Sarangi, -

Organic Farmer,

Sri Bibhudendra Prasad

Das - Ex-MLA, President Orissa Krushak Mahasangha,

Sri Biswajit Mohanty,

Noted Environmentalist,

Sri Asit Mohanty,

Farmers Union Leader,

Prof B K Nayak - Utkal University,

 

Prof Shambu Prasad,

Associate Professor, XIM, Bhubaneswar,

 

Sri Bharat Bhushan

Thakur, Secretary, Jana Kalyan Sanstha, Bhawanipatna,

Sri Sudhir Pattnaik,

Writer & Social Activist

Sri Sudarshan Das,

Secretary, Human Development Foundation,Bhubaneswar,

Sri Ratnakar Sahu,

Organic Farmer, Patnagarh , Bolangir,

Simanchal Nayak, Rishikulya Ryot Mahasabha, ,

Ganjam,

Sri Siba Prasad Sahu, Ahimsa Club, Bargarh,

Sri Debjeet Sarangi,Living Farms , Bhubaneswar,

Sri Jagannath Chatterjee, Social Activist,

Member, Coalition for GM Free India.---State Coalition for GM Free Orissa,

Plot no: 1181/2146,

Ratnakar Bag – 2,

Tankapani Road,

Bhubaneswar.

 

DT: 01.05.08

 

PRESS RELEASE

SUB: GEAC PERMISSION TO ALLOW BT COTTON CULTIVATION IN ORISSA.

 

Bhubaneswar: The 83rd Meeting of the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee held on the 2nd

April'2008, arbitrarily decided to allow Bt Cotton cultivation in

Orissa. This is despite the stance of the Government of Orissa not to

allow GM crops into the State. However despite the protests and

demonstrations against Bt Cotton held at Bhubaneswar on 7th & 8th

of April, the State Government is yet to take a definite stance on the

issue. It was therefore decided by the State Coalition for GM Free

Orissa to write to the Hon'ble Chief Minister informing him about the

decision of the GEAC and reminding him of his assurance to the people

of the State.

 

The protests by farmers are still on. The Coalition continues to receive signatures from farmers who oppose the move. On the 7th

of April the Coalition had presented 30,000 signatures received from

farmers before the media during a Press Conference held at Bhubaneswar.

An online signature campaign has elicited 501 signatures from Orissa

and beyond criticizing the move to introduce Bt Cotton into the State

despite the tragic consequences in the States of Maharashtra, Gujarat,

Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana. Other organisations have held

massive demonstrations involving tribals and farmers both protesting Bt

Cotton and showcasing the rich biodiversity of the State of Orissa.

 

 

Along with the letter addressed to the

Hon'ble Chief Minister and the results of the online petition we are

also attaching a map showing the spurt in cotton cultivation under

contract farming arrangement in the State. This is at the expense of

land under food grain cultivation, mostly upland paddy and millets

..Worldwide we are observing a growing food crisis which is threatening

to snow ball into a major popular uprising. It has been acknowledged

that conversion of food growing land into other uses including the

promotion of cash crops (like cotton) and plantations for biofuels is

directly responsible for the rising prices and erratic supply of food.

We are observing the same scenario in Orissa.

 

The Coalition warns that contract

farming that has resulted in cotton cultivation shifting from the

traditional cotton belt of Kalahandi and Nuapada, has larger

implications on food security of the people not only because of the

shift to non food crops but loss of work to labor due to use of

chemicals and machinery. This also opens up the door to Bt Cotton as

has been observed in the State of Andhra Pradesh.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

For State Coalition for GM Free Orissa,

 

Debjeet Sarangi.

Member.

 

Attached: 1. Mail to Hon'ble Chief Minister, Orissa, 2. 501 signatures in response to online petition. 3. Map showing growth in cotton cultivation in Orissa.--

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