GMW: THE BITTER HARVEST

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GMW: THE BITTER HARVEST

" GM WATCH " <info

Thu, 29 Sep 2005 10:41:43 +0100

 

 

 

 

GM WATCH daily

http://www.gmwatch.org

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1.THE BITTER HARVEST

2.Expert demands inquiry into Bt cotton cultivation

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1.THE BITTER HARVEST

Kasturi Das

The Telegraph (Calcutta), 29 September 2005

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050929/asp/opinion/story_5295240.asp

 

Ever since its introduction in March 2002, Bt cotton, the sole

transgenic crop commercially grown in India, has been at the centre of

controversy. The latest one has been triggered off by a research by

Keshav R.

Kranthi and his colleagues at the Central Institute for Cotton Research,

Nagpur. It is based on the findings of a series of field experiments on

eight Bt-cotton Bollgard hybrids commercially grown in India. The

results revealed that the Bt cotton 'hybrids' being grown here are

inadequate for effectively controlling the cotton pest, bollworm.

 

The study has indicated that one of the reasons behind poor performance

of Bt cotton in India is that here it is grown as 'hybrid', unlike in

the US, China and Australia. The findings are disquieting given that the

principal reason behind the introduction of Bt cotton in India was its

purported ability to make the cotton plant resistant to bollworms.

 

It is appalling that even with such clear scientific evidence, the

Genetic Engineering Approval Committee, the country's apex body for

approving genetically modified products, has not taken any initiative

to stall

its commercial cultivation. Instead, fresh approvals have been granted,

and old approvals renewed.

 

Growing wild

 

On the other hand, efforts are on at the highest level to put in place

a full-fledged policy framework to provide a big push for the

proliferation of transgenic crops in the country. This, despite the

fact that

the ecological and health-safety implications of GM crops are yet to be

proved conclusively anywhere in the world.

 

More alarming is the blatant attempt of our policy-makers to push

through transgenic agro-technology on the pretext of achieving noble

objectives, such as, increase in agricultural yield, economic

wellbeing of

farm families, food security of the nation, security of national and

international trade in farm commodities, and so on.

 

As far as yield is concerned, studies in India and abroad have revealed

poorer performance of GM crops compared to their non-GM counterparts.

Lack of satisfactory yield, along with the high costs of GM seeds and

cultivation, makes GM crops spell doom for small and marginal farmers. In

Andhra Pradesh in particular, cultivation of Bt cotton has forced

hundreds of farmers to commit suicides.

 

New problems

 

Even if it is assumed that GM crops will help to boost yields, it can

never guarantee two square meals for the entire population of the

country, since the biggest impediment to achieving food security in

India is

economic accessibility, and not physical availability.

 

Moreover, the monoculture-based GM technology, by endangering the

biodiversity of India, may well end up threatening the livelihood of our

agrarian community. There still remains the threat of contamination of

non-GM crops by their GM counterparts. Indian agricultural exports may

also become a vulnerable and risky venture in a situation of coexistence

of GM and non-GM crops.

 

If India stops further promotion of transgenic crops, it may be in an

advantageous position in the external trade front. With public opinion

against GM crops gaining increasing momentum around the world, the

global market prospect is likely to get increasingly better for any

non-GM

agricultural product.

 

Thus, there is not enough economic justification for promoting the

cultivation of GM crops in India. Hence, instead of glorifying transgenic

crops, a prudent approach would be to put a moratorium on further

commercial cultivation of GM crops in India. It is not genetic

engineering

but more sustainable alternatives like organic or ecological farming that

can pull Indian agriculture out of hard times.

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2.Expert demands inquiry into Bt cotton cultivation

By Sheela Bhatt in New Delhi

REDIFF.COM, September 29, 2005

http://www.rediff.com/news/2005/sep/29bt.htm?q=np & file=.htm

 

The story of Bt cotton cultivation in India is getting murkier by the

day and it deserves a full fledged inquiry on all aspects, said Dr Suman

Sahai of 'Gene Campaign'.

 

In a press conference in New Delhi, Sahai told media that multinational

corporations are having vested interests in the cultivation of Bt

cotton and it's high time the Indian government stood up for the

farmers and

consumers of India.

 

The letters 'Bt' stand for Bacillus thuringiensis, a toxin-producing

bacterium found naturally in soils. Scientists have, with the help of

genetic engineering, separated toxin producing genes to produce certain

seeds. Pests die when they eat Bt cotton plants.

 

The United States company Monsanto is enjoying monopoly over the most

used variety of cotton seed Bollgard.

 

After a large number of suicides of debt-ridden farmers due to use of

fake varieties of seed, and campaigning by non-government organisations,

Andhra Pradesh has banned Monsanto Bt cotton which is distributed with

help of Mahyco.

 

Dr Sahai said that, it is criminal on the part of the government and on

the part of the regulatory authority to pretend that all is well with

Bt cotton when there is so much evidence that it is not.

 

In the biotech industry, Bt cotton is a critical technology for the

success of the marketing of genetically modified agriculture all over the

world.

 

For India, the issue raised by Dr Sahai deserves attention because the

government's monitoring is not only weak, but absolutely inadequate and

inefficient, believe the experts.

 

The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee haven't been able to respond

satifactorily to most arguments against the failure of Bt cotton

varieties.

 

Dr Sahai alleged that " despite corroborated reports of failure,

Monsanto has refused to pay any compensation to Indian farmers who have

suffered losses and GEAC has not taken any action in this regard " .

 

The issue deserves attention also because Dr Mangala Rai, director

general of Indian Council of Agricultural Research is currently

engaged in

deliberations with a powerful team within the government over how to

bring about a second green revolution in India with the help of US

technology.

 

" Indo-US nuclear deal's quid pro quo is the agriculture deal signed

with the US, " Dr Sahai said.

 

Commenting on the huge economic interest and aggressive marketing of

multinationals, she added, " It's obvious that America allowed us the

access to nuclear technology and in return asked India to allow an access

to the Indian agriculture market for American biotech companies. "

 

Dr Sahai, in support of her argument to demand a through inquiry

against Bt cotton cultivation, quoted a startling example of well-known

scientist Dr Kranthi belonging to the Cotton Research Institute of Nagpur.

 

Dr Sahai alleges that Dr Kranthi published a paper in the scientific

journal Current Science providing scientific data on how Bt cotton is not

very effective in India.

 

Dr Sahai picked up from there and quoted him in The Hindu to prove that

Bt cotton technology is faulty and doesn't protect farmers against the

boll-worm.

 

But Dr Kranthi retaliated soon. He wrote a column in The Hindu

absolving himself and his boss Dr Mangala Rai.

 

About his evidence in the scientific journal, Dr Kranthi says that Bt

cotton " has a few inherent adequacies. That does not take away the merit

of the technology " .

 

Dr Kranthi has described Bt cotton as a brilliant technology.

 

The tussle between the two scientists has raised a cloud over

Monsanto's future plans in India.

 

Dr Sahai says that farmers need to answer why Bt cotton hybrids in

India were unstable and unpredictable. She says that everything should be

on hold till the inquiry is made.

 

She said one of the causes of farmers' suicides in India was a failure

of Bt cotton cultivation and cultivation of fake and illegal variety of

Bt cotton. Dubious seeds are a major threat to Indian farmers.

 

 

 

 

 

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