Activists Chain Themselves to Bayer Headquarters

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GMW: INDIA - Activists Chain Themselves to Bayer Headquarters

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Thu, 30 Sep 2004 14:10:52 +0100

 

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30 September 2004

 

INDIA: Greenpeace Activists Chain Themselves to Bayer Headquarters

Demand Bayer Come Clean on Their Experiments With GM Food Crops

 

Mumbai: Six Greenpeace activists are chained to the Mumbai headquarters

of Bayer Crop Science right now, with banners proclaiming 'Bayer

poisons our food'. The activists are there to bear witness to and

expose the

high-risk genetic experiments conducted by the company on popular food

crops including cabbage and cauliflower. Bayer is one of the leading

agro-chemical companies of the world, holding nearly one-fourth of the

market share in the Indian pesticides industry (22%) with 52 products

including formulations.

 

" The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has disclosed that Pro Agro (a

wholly owned subsidiary of Bayer) has conducted field trials of cabbage

and cauliflower genetically modified with the controversial Cry9C

gene, " asserted Divya Raghunandan, GE Campaigner, Greenpeace India,

" Considering the high risks to human health associated with this

particular

gene (See footnote 1), Greenpeace is concerned about the implications for

consumers, including the farmers that will grow these crops, and we are

demanding that the company stop all research using the Cry9C gene and

makes all information related to these field trials open to public

scrutiny. "

 

" The Cry9C gene protein is notorious for being a suspected human

allergen. The United States Environmental Protection Agency

acknowledged this

risk and refused to certify a version of corn genetically modified with

this gene as fit for human consumption. This Cry9C-laced corn,

interestingly, was also owned by a subsidiary of Bayer Crop Science,

Aventis,

and was eventually marketed under the brand name StarLink for animal

feed and industrial purposes. However in September

2000, StarLink was found in corn taco shells and other foods and about

300 corn products had to be withdrawn from the market.

 

" Cry9C also made an appearance on the Indian scenario in March 2003,

when a food aid shipment from two US-based aid agencies (CARE and

Catholic Relief Services) was suspected of being contaminated with

StarLink

corn. Responding to the warnings issued by the Indian Council of Medical

Research, and an alert sounded by concerned organizations, the Genetic

Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) took a stand against the

shipment, and demanded that USA and the aid agencies provide

certification for

each consignment of corn-soya blend that it did NOT contain StarLink.

Since none of the agencies were willing to certify this, the entire

shipment was rejected outright.

 

Greenpeace is demanding that Bayer answers critical questions on their

genetic field trials, including:

1. Why is Bayer using the same gene implicated in the Starlink to feed

people in India?

2. What bio-safety and health safety assessments, if any, have been

conducted and what were the results of the same?

3. What did Bayer do with the GM plants, seeds and produce from these

field trials?

How can they assure us that these have not already entered the food

chain?

 

For further information, please visit www.greenpeaceindia.org or

contact:

Divya Raghunandan, GE Campaigner, Greenpeace India: +919845535406,

divya.raghunandan

Namrata Chowdhary, Media Officer, Greenpeace India: +919810850092,

namrata.chowdhary

 

Foot note 1: Cry9C is one of a family of crystalline (Cry) endotoxin

proteins produced by Bacillusthuringiensis (Bt), a naturally-occurring

soil bacterium. The Cry endotoxin disrupts the digestive systems of pests

attacking GM crops and kills them. Unlike other Cry proteins, Cry9C is

heat-stabile and also resistant to degradation in gastric juices.

These two properties are generally considered the most important

indicators

 

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