Category Archives: GMO

BIOPIRACY – UNDER THE RADAR

Posted on by

I do not know the man, and came upon his blog by accident. The blog was titled :

#GMOFAQ How Bt corn and Roundup Ready soy work, and why they should not scare you.

Link : http://www.michaeleisen.org/blog/?p=1135&cpage=1#comment-262275

More than the article itself, I got engrossed by the exchanges made under it by the general public, some apparently using anonymous names.

I could not resist putting up my own comments, which is preserved here in blue:

There are a lot of forces acting for and against introduction of GM crops in India.

I live in Canada but was born in India and have quite a lot of links with grassroots organizations in India involved in many fields of work mostly to do with preservation of ecology and addressing poverty related issues for the marginal people in India.

For the Indian context, there are many issues relating to GM crops and why these are resisted at the grassroots level. I shall cover in this post only one of them :

Biopiracy

Often this issue slips under the radar, under the weight of other related issues of GM crops. Basically, this recent act, coming under the Ministry of Environment and Forest, and in force since 2002 – has in its scope the following opening text :  

QUOTE

The Biological Diversity Act 2002 was born out of India’s attempt to realize the objectives enshrined in the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) 1992 which recognizes the sovereign rights of states to use their own Biological Resources. The Act aims at the conservation of biological resources and associated knowledge as well as facilitating access to them in a sustainable manner and through a just process For purposes of implementing the objects of the Act it establishes the National Biodiversity Authority in Chennai.

UNQUOTE

What it means, in the case of plant, animals and micro-organism families that are not imported but locally evolved, or had been imported in the long lost past and has evolved further within India to acquire region specific traits that make it suitable to the soil and the climate – including those that have been used by the folk and indigenous people of India for medicinal purposes, as tonics or as cure to some illness or injury, and those plants that are used as food, either cultivated or wildly grown, are the collective intellectual property of the nation.

This means, the genome of this biomass may not be copied or studied, or tinkered with, without explicit permission of the Government of India. 

So, studying the genome without explicit conditional permission, and then genetic ally tinkering of same and eventual patenting of any modified life form, essentially violates the Biodiversity Preservation Act of 2002. A new term has been coined to represent this violation – Biopiracy.

So, in the case of Bt.Brinjal, where 4 different types of Indian Brinjal were studied, genome sequenced and Bt.variety developed, violated the above act. This was more or less outside of the public brouhaha about if Bt. Bringal should or should not be introduced on Indian farms.

 Between 2002 and now, India has a different Govt in place, and essentially in cahoots with the GM corporations. Nonetheless, the act has not been repealed, There is enough prima facie evidence that the law has been violated. The Govt of India, according to this law, should not only ban introduction of BT. Cotton, it should sue Monsanto and its Indian partner for violation of the act and penalize them, perhaps removing their license to do any further business in India.

But, as I said, the new Govt is a different animal, and was dragging its feet on the issue. So an NGO firm has initiated a Public Interest Litigation in a provincial high court, against the Govt of India, in order to force it to sue Monsanto. The case has progressed to the stage where the court has ordered the relevant provincial authority to issue a notice to the Govt to file a case against Monsanto. A lot of strange drama is going on about it, with Govt officials involved in the case suddenly getting transferred etc.

This case is catching peoples attention. There is another one pending at the Supreme court about banning or putting a moratorium on a majority of the GM crops till various long term effects are known – being investigated by an expert committee comprising of six scientists, three on behalf of the Govt and three for the petitioners.

These two cases are sending a bit of a shiver in the whole GM wagon train, and a worry creeping in – if my grassroots friends are correct – that if the cards are not played well at this time by the GMO lobby, the whole game might be lost.

This issue – basically of Biopiracy, is the first of my many objections to the introduction of GM crops in India.

Cheers.

A letter to an MLA

Posted on by

To Ms. Lana Popham, MLA, Sanich South, BC, Canada (by email)

4v082_LanaPopham

March 11, 2013

Dear Ms. Popham

I support your opposition to GM apple and would like to add my signature to the campaign.

Science’s understanding of genetics is in its infancy. How gene tampering might ultimately work out long term is not known. How the patenting process works for this Apple, and if it could cross pollinate with other apples and how those natural apples might or might not be affected, is not known.

If at all patent should be granted for life forms, where the gene was not “invented” but simply taken from one place and put into another, is a serious question – not to mention the ethical issue of owning life forms. Apple that browns has a natural function – it is an indication that it is beginning to rot at the edges. Rotting itself is a natural process which we as humans may not like, but is nonetheless a process that involves many other cohabiting organisms. So, what is the implication of an apple that will not brown? Is it because it will hide the fact that it is rotting ? That can have serious health problems.

Could it be that this GM apple simply will not rot so easily ? Why not? Since rotting is in itself a natural process where organisms consume and proces the apple, artificial gene tampering that repels microorganisms from this apple thus prevents it from rotting, can have even more serious implications. We need to know far more than simplistic explanations of a non-browning apple before it should be allowed on an unsuspecting person’s table.

I do not know if it is possible to raise all these issues with the local Government, but it is suggested that a moratorium be placed on marketing of all Genetically modified non-processed foods such as fruits, and a restriction be imposed on any further genetic modification of processed food such as cereals till sufficient information is gathered on their long term effect on humans, on soil, on biodiversity and on sustainability.


Thanking you
Tony Mitra
10891 Cherry Lane, Delta, BC, V4E 3L7, Canada
604-649 7535
Tony.mitra@gmail.com

—————————

13th March 2013

Hi Tony,

 Thank you for this – and for the retweets and your blog post. I really appreciate your support. You ask very thoughtful questions and make a very sensible proposal at the end of your message. Great input!

 Lana

——————————————————————-

April 7th: Lana Popham, NDP Agriculture Critic, speaks in North Vancouver. Lana  introduced our petition against the GMO apple with 5500 names on it into the BC legislature in late March 2013.

Venue : Buddha-Full 106 1st St W #101, Time: 4.30-6.30 PM

For more information contact: gefreebc07@yahoo.ca
Pls try and attend if possible. Bring friends.
———————————————————————-
Small typo and grammar corrections done on the orignal letter – to clean up the language.

Genetically Modified Crop and you

Posted on by

4v062_GMO_And_you

In my effort to collect video material within Utube that helps us understand the long term effects of Genetically Modified food, I have created this blog listing a series of very good videos called Genetically Modified Crops and you.

 

Genetically modified crops and you 1/10

Uploaded on 7 Mar 2010

Between 1997 and 2005, the total surface area of land cultivated with GMOs had increased by a factor of 50, from 17,000 km2 (4.2 million acres) to 900,000 km2 (222 million acres).

Although most GM crops are grown in North America, in recent years there has been rapid growth in the area sown in developing countries. For instance in 2005 the largest increase in crop area planted to GM crops (soybeans) was in Brazil (94,000 km2 in 2005 versus 50,000 km2 in 2004.) There has also been rapid and continuing expansion of GM cotton varieties in India since 2002. (Cotton is a major source of vegetable cooking oil and animal feed.) It is predicted that in 2008/9 32,000 km2 of GM cotton will be harvested in India (up more than 100 percent from the previous season).

Indian national average cotton yields of GM cotton were seven times lower in 2002, because the parental cotton plant used in the genetic engineered variant was not well suited to the climate of India and failed. The publicity given to transgenic trait Bt insect resistance has encouraged the adoption of better performing hybrid cotton varieties, and the Bt trait has substantially reduced losses to insect predation. Though controversial and often disputed, economic and environmental benefits of GM cotton in India to the individual farmer have been documented.

In 2003, countries that grew 99% of the global transgenic crops were the United States (63%), Argentina (21%), Canada (6%), Brazil (4%), China (4%), and South Africa (1%). The Grocery Manufacturers of America estimate that 75% of all processed foods in the U.S. contain a GM ingredient. In particular, Bt corn, which produces the pesticide within the plant itself, is widely grown, as are soybeans genetically designed to tolerate glyphosate herbicides. These constitute “input-traits” are aimed to financially benefit the producers, have indirect environmental benefits and marginal cost benefits to consumers.

In the US, by 2006 89% of the planted area of soybeans, 83% of cotton, and 61% corn were genetically modified varieties. Genetically modified soybeans carried herbicide-tolerant traits only, but maize and cotton carried both herbicide tolerance and insect protection traits (the latter largely the Bacillus thuringiensis Bt insecticidal protein). In the period 2002 to 2006, there were significant increases in the area planted to Bt protected cotton and maize, and herbicide tolerant maize also increased in sown area.

Information here from Wikipedia.org
Other useful sites:
http://www.thetruthaboutgmos.com/
http://www.gmofoodlabel.org/
http://www.seedsofdeception.com/Publi…
http://www.globalpolicy.org/component…
http://www.saynotogmos.org/
http://www.wikihow.com/Avoid-Genetica…

[youtube ltSG3GcLftU]

 

Genetically modified crops and you 2/10

Uploaded on 7 Mar 2010

[youtube hEuIi_avtoQ]

 

Genetically modified crops and you 3/10

[youtube JD7ydbJ9lAc]

 

Genetically modified crops and you 4/10

[youtube 1s88PzXonf4]

 

Genetically modified crops and you 5/10

[youtube QxJHK_y5IUY]

 

Genetically modified crops and you 6/10

[youtube BrdP9eMeLoE]

 

Genetically modified crops and you 7/10

[youtube m3VhSExSsAw]

 

Genetically modified crops and you 8/10

[youtube oS2d8UvcLSI]

 

Genetically modified crops and you 9/10

[youtube G8C_2SwUli4]

 

Genetically modified crops and you 10/10

[youtube LKcPa5nU7d0]

————————————————–

 

Canadian Farmer’s Testimonials on GM Alfalfa

[youtube qkWfGXlU8gA]

Published on 16 Jan 2013

Farmers from across Canada describe how genetically engineered (genetically modified or GM) alfalfa would affect them. Do farmers need GM alfalfa? This year there is a new industry push to pave the way to introduce GM alfalfa into Canada. The company Forage Genetics wants to sell GM alfalfa seeds in Canada (seeds with Monsanto’s Roundup Ready herbicide tolerant trait). Its not legal to sell GM alfalfa seeds in Canada until Forage Genetics gets variety registration. In October 2012, the industry group called the Canadian Seed Trade Association began to push a plan for “co-existence” of GM and non-GM alfalfa, to pave the way to introduce GM alfalfa in Canada via Ontario. However, “co-existence” is not possible – GM alfalfa cannot be controlled but will contaminate farmers’ fields across the country. Take action today or find out more info at www.cban.ca/alfalfa Thank you to the National Farmers Union for these testimonials and to the NFU Youth for producing this video.

Farmer suicide in India – the unfolding of a genocide

Posted on by

Cotton For My Shroud: The documentary reveals the effect of Genetical Modified (GM) crops in India and how it has changed the landscape of Agriculture in India. The documentary highlights 5 years of footage in crisis hit Vidarbha region of India. User discretion is advised because of graphic contents.

Cotton For My Shroud received 2012 National Film Awards of India for best documentary script. National Film Awards honors exceptional movies and documentaries in India, most of them not affiliated with Bollywood film industry.The 2011 census of India confirmed the figure of more than 200,000 farmer suicides in India related to faulty policies of the administration and other social issues.

Association for India’s Development (AID) along with it’s partner have been working over a decade on sustainable agriculture. AID is also part of the alliance ASHA, Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture. AID participated in anti Bt Brinjal campaign, a move by GM companies to push GM Brinjal into India.

Since 70% of India’s population is directly related to agriculture, distress in this area has given rise to many other problems across India including slums, poverty, sex trafficking, etc.

This documentary is presented by Association for India’s Development and Real Food Hopkins.

There would be a discussion session followed by the screening.

The documentary is 75 minutes long.

Reference : https://www.facebook.com/nishikant

[youtube Bplv8tQmD9s]

 

[youtube MrZpjbcGXK0]

 

The terrible story of farmer suicide in the Bt Cotton belt in Maharashtra.

“I Want My Father Back” – examines the crisis small farmers in India face as a result of globalization and government apathy. For the past ten years farmers have been committing suicide in Vidarbha, Maharashtra, as in many other parts of India. The main act of this tragedy started in mid 60’s with the introduction of the Green Revolution. Earlier, farmers saved their own seeds and practiced organic farming. The money they invested on their farms was very little. But with Green Revolution farmers were asked to buy seeds, fertilizers and pesticides, forcing them to borrow, mostly from private money lenders at exorbitant interest rates. With every farming season their debt increased and over the course of years it led to a loan trap. The second phase of this tragic situation can be directly attributed to ‘globalization’. Under the WTO (World Trade Organization) regime, which favors wealthy industrialized countries, the Indian government has eliminated or reduced its support to farmers, while Indian agriculture is invaded by multinationals. The introduction of BT cotton has created havoc in Vidarbha. The cost of these seeds is exorbitant and, contrary to the claims of the seller (Monsanto), the yields have fallen and the level of pesticide use has not dropped. The film raises these issues through interviews with ordinary farmers and activists and traces the lives of some of the farm families affected by suicides within the family.

I WANT MY FATHER BACK PART 1

[youtube yjn_Ov1Z15Q]

 

I WANT MY FATHER BACK PART 2

[youtube fw7T7MbbMjw]

 

BT Cotton is killing sheep in north India

Uploaded on 25 Feb 2011

This shepherd lost his sheep due to grazing in BT Cotton farms last year.
This shepherd was interviewed in Village Balak, District Hisar, Haryana State, India. He tells about increased rates premature delivery in animals and deaths of offspring since BT cotton came in his area.

[youtube dOxSvfUo5PY]

Dr. Pushpa Bhargava on GM food in India

Posted on by

Now that we can embed U tube videos directly into the blog, I am using this blog to record some of the key speeches, for example Dr. Pushpa Bhargava talking at Kolkata University about GM crop in India. These are short videos, some under 3 minutes while some going up to 9 minutes. If you are short of time, check #8, and if you have more time, check the ones after #8.

Dr Pushpa Mitra Bhargava speaks in Kolkata on GM Crops 4

[youtube aVsHEHROiew]

 

Dr Pushpa Mitra Bhargava speaks in Kolkata on GM Crops 5

[youtube pEjvbPNjkE4]

 

Dr Pushpa Mitra Bhargava speaks in Kolkata on GM Crops 6

[youtube ODPFHb95h5g]

 

 

Dr Pushpa Mitra Bhargava speaks in Kolkata on GM Crops 7

[youtube yB-GfZTv8cM]

 

Dr Pushpa Mitra Bhargava speaks in Kolkata on GM Crops 8

Here Dr. Bhargava focuses his attention on Monsanto.

[youtube u38qoLUNZek]

 

Dr Pushpa Mitra Bhargava speaks in Kolkata on GM Crops 9

[youtube MDAzGoDnz3U]

 

Dr Pushpa Mitra Bhargava speaks in Kolkata on GM Crops 10

[youtube fTS4YPLrKo8]

 

Dr Pushpa Mitra Bhargava speaks in Kolkata on GM Crops 11

[youtube TqlZSycOjvo]

 

Dr Pushpa Mitra Bhargava speaks in Kolkata on GM Crops 12

[youtube QtnsgdbwZxQ]

 

Dr Pushpa Mitra Bhargava speaks in Kolkata on GM Crops 13

[youtube NIM4Rjvu8s0]

A few videos about Debal Deb

Posted on by

Dr. Debal Deb on Golden Rice. Dr Debal Deb is the true essence of a scientist. A scientist turned farmer who has the ability to understand issues and environments not only on an intellectual level but as importantly, on an emotional one. He understands what is taking place globally and has come to his own conclusions in how best to correct the damage taking place, scientifically and practically. He understands that science can be used as a solution to our food crisis, just that it needs to be functioning holistically, working with the natural systems and almost as importantly, with the farmers and their generations of agricultural knowledge.

This maverick scientist working against the corporate and institutional grain, dedicating his life to scientifically prove that nature already had the answers and what we were being sold has little to do with sustainability and everything to do with control. Debal, I was told, was one of four scientists working on what is known as the ‘Food Web Theory’. Rather than trying to destroy life around agriculture, Debal argues that we need to understand and then simulate an efficient bio-diverse environment, a more holistic approach to agriculture, one that has existed for many thousands of years. He is involved in preservation of over 1,000 strains of rice, apart from training others how to do so.

I decided to include here a few videos uploaded on U tube on my talks with Debal, that deserve to be on my blog. These are

1. Dr. Debal Deb – on Golden Rice

[youtube TFVCmlYVbRM]

 

 

2. Dr. Debal Deb on GM crop – part 2

[youtube mcBs_iTGn6M]

 

 

3. Dr. Debal Deb on GM crop – part 3

[youtube JtRep13D8mw]

 

 

4. Dr. Debal Deb on Rabindranath Tagore, Santiniketan, and the corrosive effects of Bengaliana

[youtube bf7G48H6oFY]

And now I shall include below a video on not created by me, but also of Debal Deb talking about food security and against Golden rice. The video is titled – Asian Farmers Say No to Golden Rice.

[youtube E_y2Xfl3-ok]

Tonu (তনু)