GMW: India awakes - front page article on Monsanto's secret research/more on Mon

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GMW: India awakes - front page article on Monsanto's secret

research/more on Monsanto ban

" GM WATCH " <info

Sat, 4 Jun 2005 08:50:01 +0100

 

 

GM WATCH daily

http://www.gmwatch.org

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1.More on Monsanto ban in Andhra Pradesh

2.Imported soy and corn products may be harmful - Secret research

carried out by Monsanto points to serious health hazards

 

Comment

 

Following on from the stirring news of the blacklisting of Monsanto in

Andhra Pradesh, this morning the dangers of GM are splashed across the

front page of a leading national newspaper that's read by millions in

India.

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1.More on Monsanto ban in Andhra Pradesh

from the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture

 

Dear Friends,

 

The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister has announced that Mahyco is being

blacklisted in AP and that their new Bt Cotton varieties approved by GEAC

would not be allowed in the state either.

 

The stated reasons for the decision include that the company has

supplied low quality seeds and has refused to pay compensation ordered

to the

tune of Rs. 4.5 crores to Bt Cotton farmers who have incurred losses

despite an earlier MoU with the government saying that it would.

 

" We will not allow firms like Mahyco to sell their Bt Cotton seed in

any part of the state " , the Chief Minister announced. [The Hindu, June

4th 2005, Regional Page]

 

As per a news report in Eenaadu (a leading vernacular daily in AP) on

June 4th, 2005, the state government has decided not to allow even field

trials in the state by the company. The government has also expressed

its deep opposition to the GEAC for approving new varities without

consulting the state government and without taking into account past

performance. The Minister for Agriculture and the

Commissioner-Agriculture

have confirmed the reports of the company being blacklisted in the state,

as per this report.

 

In this context, Centre for Sustainable Agriculture congratulates the

AP government for its bold decision. However, the government should also

be pro-active and consistent on the matter of Bt Cotton in this state.

Without working out any (new) accountability mechanism, what does the

government propose to do when Bt Cotton fails again this season? What

are the steps now to compensate farmers who have incurred losses earlier?

What new monitoring mechanisms has the government put in place to

monitor Bt cotton in a comprehensive manner? what mechanisms to prevent

falsification of data, to the benefit of the company, as it had

happened in

the past?

 

Unless these issues are resolved, there is only experimentation

happening at the expense of hapless farmers of the state and we demand

that

the government put an immediate stop to this.

 

Kavitha Kuruganti

Centre for Sustainable Agriculture

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2.Imported soy and corn products may be harmful

Gargi Parsai

 

Secret research carried out by Monsanto points to serious health

hazards

 

The Hindu (front page), 4 June 2005

 

NGOs demand publication of all food and feed safety data on genetically

modified crops being researched in India

 

NEW DELHI: There is a chance that imported products like sweet corn,

corn blends, soy nuggets, soy granules, tofu, soy drinks, soymilk and

others that have flooded the market could have been made from genetically

modified (GM) maize/corn and soya. There is no way to know this as

India does not insist on labelling for GM foods, nor has it a proper

regulatory system in place for screening such imported products.

 

There have been widespread concern following recent reports that rats

fed on a diet rich in genetically modified maize developed organ

abnormalities and changes in their blood profile.

 

Data on the collapse of the immune system and organ abnormalities in

rats fed with GM maize (MON 863) have been leaked from secret research

carried out by the American multinational food giant, Monsanto. The study

is reported to have shown that rats fed on normal maize were healthy.

Despite requests from several official quarters, the multinational

company is said to have declined to make its 1139-page report public,

stating that it " contains confidential business information which

could be of

commercial use to our companies. " The MON 863 variety was meant for

release in Europe.

 

Efforts to talk to the Monsanto representative in New Delhi proved

futile.

 

Quoting the reports, civil society groups like the Gene Campaign and

the Forum for Biotechnology and Food Security on Friday sought an

immediate and complete ban on the release of GM foods.

 

" The Monsanto study should be reason enough for a serious overhaul of

the draft Biotechnology Policy, introducing elements of precaution,

safety and public participation, " said Suman Sahai of Gene Campaign.

 

Devinder Sharma of the Forum said India was being used as a " dustbin "

for GM foods. " Let there be transparency on the data about such products

and let people decide. Why should GM research and results be shrouded

in mystery if everything is fine with them? "

 

Both the scientist-NGOs have demanded immediate publication of all food

and feed safety data on the GM crops being researched in India

including cabbage, cauliflower, brinjal, potato, tomato and even rice.

They

have strong objection to the government's accepting food and feed data on

GM crops generated by the companies themselves.

 

Official sources said so far no GM food has been approved in India

except Bt cotton, but GM products may be unknowingly imported for lack of

proper regulation, monitoring and testing facilities. " Unless the

importer declares GM foods to be as such, it would not be known that they

have been imported. Countries like the United States do not have a policy

of labelling GM crops, " said the sources.

 

With the advent of GM food technology, the Health Ministry had proposed

amendments to the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act for references

for GM foods in the interest of food safety. However, the proposal was

not accepted and it was decided to move a reference under the proposed

Integrated Food Law for regulation, labelling, testing and monitoring of

GM foods.

 

From all accounts, India's safety laws on GM foods are hazy and there

is no visible system in place for its implementation.

 

 

 

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