Good day Dear Brothers and Sisters, Its Tuesday, April 5th 2011  Dear Friends, We need at least 50,000 supporters, already reaching 40K. Please circulate the URL: "Say no to Monsanto." My letter to Nitish Kumar is pasted below, please circulate to as many as you can. Kind regards Arun Shrivastava Arun Shrivastava MBIM, CMC Former Professor of Strategic Management & Policy Former Principal Officer, Economic Development Unit, Birmingham 4286, B 5 & 6, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi 110070 Tel: 2612 1221, 2612 1159
March 23, 2011
Dear Nitish ji,
I was horrified to learn that GM seeds have been planted adjacent to your village farm and pleased to hear that you have rejected Sharad Pawar's request to allow open field trials of genetically modified [GM] seeds in Bihar. The issues at stake go beyond mere conflict of policy between MoEF and MoA, personal stake of powerful politicians in seeds business and business operations of transnational corporations [TNCs] in Bihar or India or other developing countries.
At stake are human and animal health, sustainability of future generations, conservation of flora and fauna including aquatic life forms, indeed the entire ecosystem and the very survival of earth as natural living system. The issues at stake concern our food security and food sovereignty won for us over 8,000 years by our farmers. The issues at stake concern our food habits and culture, our essential way of life. These statements may sound dramatic at first sight; however, by the time you have considered all the evidences which I can submit for your perusal on demand, you may find them factual and truthful.
Contamination: Open field trials have caused widespread contamination of natural seeds with alien GM traits. The contaminated food crops contained genetically modified organisms in stable and toxic form. Not only same-specie but trans-species [horizontal] contamination is also a scientifically established fact. Cross-pollination between `engineered' specie and natural plants is causing havoc worldwide. This contamination is irreversible. Decontamination is impossible. Once our seeds are contaminated with GM organisms, the contamination will be in perpetuity.
Illegal planting is widespread; legal open field trials are merely a ruse to fool the farmers and the people. 39 countries reported contamination from illegal plantings in 2005. [Map 1]
Loss to farmers: Since Ag-biotech is an imperfect science, very frequently GM seeds do not germinate and farmers are forced to bear the loss. These seeds also require proprietary pesticides despite claims that the crops would be pest-resistant. The US and Canadian farmers have reported 16 times increase in the use of chemicals to protect Biotech crops. In India there are more suicides among farmers who have opted for Bt Cotton seed [Bt seeds are genetically engineered seeds containing Bacillus thurengeinsis genes]. Mixed seeds are also sold to them (traditional mixed with GM); after only a few years they can't obtain a harvest: their seeds do not germinate [Minimum germination should be 85% or more]. The technology for producing `Traitor' and `Terminator' seeds is also commercially available. Many American rice exporters lost millions of dollars when their rice tested positive at European ports. EU, Russia and Japan have zero tolerance for GM crops. The Russian Government demanded sovereign guarantee from the Government of India that its rice does not contain GMOs. Open field trials will expose our farmers to undesirable contamination which will cause huge revenue loss.
Loss to organic farmers: Farmers who have adopted organic or natural method of farm management are most threatened. German organic farmers sought an increase in contamination level from 0.1% to 0.9% [nine times increase] because their crops are increasingly getting contaminated with GMOs and the high cost of testing at 0.1% level of contamination, which, in the words of a leading organic farmer Wolfgang Wiebecke, was `very unfortunate.'
Adverse health impacts: The adverse impact on health and the environment has also been established. GM foods cause sterility, infant mortality, organ defects, multiple organ failure, childhood diseases, fetal abnormality, mild to severe allergies; about 65 diseases have been traced to foods containing GM ingredients.
In the only human study to date [Sussex University] seven terminally ill patients volunteered to eat GM food. After just one meal toxins with specific traits were found to have contaminated human gut bacteria [friendly bacteria that aid digestion] and were found in colon in stable and active form. Sheep grazing on Bt Cotton field in Vidarbha died mysteriously. Autopsy report showed multiple organ failure.
"All these commercialized cultivated GMOs have been modified to contain pesticides, either through herbicide tolerance or by producing insecticides, or both, and could therefore be considered as "pesticide plants." Almost all GMOs only encode these two traits despite claims of numerous other traits…… Genetic modifications can induce global changes in the genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, or metabolomic profiles of the host…..We can conclude, from the regulatory tests performed today, that it is unacceptable to submit 500 million Europeans and several billions of consumers worldwide to the new pesticide GM-derived foods or feed, this being done without more controls (if any) than the only 3-month-long toxicological tests and using only one mammalian species" [Giles Seralini et.al]
In his classic `Seeds of Destruction,' William Engdahl cites the example of a German farmer Gottfried Glockner's experience with GM corn. Glockner planted Bt176 event of Syngenta essentially as feed for his cows. Being a scientist, he started with 10% GM feed and gradually increased the proportion, carefully noting milk yield and any side effects. Nothing much happened in the first three years but when he increased the feed to 100% GM feed, his animals "were having gluey-white feaces and violent diarrhea" and "milk contained blood." Eventually all his seventy cows died. Prof Angelika Hilbeck of Swiss Federal Institute of Technology found from Glockner's Bt 176 corn samples Bt toxins were present "in active form and extremely stable." The cows died of high dose of toxins. Nitish ji, slow and painful death of humans and animals will become the biggest problem in years to come.
Not if, but when human food is 100% contaminated should be a sobering thought.
Potential adverse impact on Home Remedies, Ayurvedic, and Unani: India is known worldwide for its wisdom in the uses of medicinal herbs. That wisdom gave rise to the `Little Tradition' of folk and home remedies and eventually codified into the `Great Traditions' of Ayurvedic and Unani systems. These systems rely heavily on natural plant material. Since horizontal contamination is an established fact, only time will tell how our mega-biodiversity of medicinal plants have been contaminated and if they would work as intended by our `Little' and `Great' Traditions of Healthcare.
Monopolistic control over global seeds' supply: The Ag-biotech industry is dominated by just five TNCs: Monsanto, Bayer, Dow Chemicals, DuPont and Syngenta. Monsanto has major market share globally of all transgenic seeds, particularly of food and fodder crops. These TNCs have been systematically taking over small seeds companies and forcing others to discontinue production of natural hybrids. Two years ago American rice farmers were forced to plant GM seeds because natural hybrids were not available in the market. Monsanto Corporation has boldly stated that all of the seeds on the planet will be transgenic in 10 - 15 years' time.
The Regulatory Environment and Geo-politics of Seeds: The sole purpose of producing GE or GM seeds is to patent seeds and eventually all life forms. It is now well known that GM seeds neither increase yield nor enhance nutrition and yet these seeds are being pushed onto hapless nations and poor farmers.
The regulatory framework has been largely undermined by obfuscating GM foods as `Generally Recognized as Safe' [GRAS] and yet, the regulators treat the GM seeds as substantially different from natural to be allowed patenting. This contradiction has not been challenged by any Government; civil society initiatives to treat GM seeds and foods have borne some results but Courts in the US have largely supported the TNCs allowing unregulated planting of GM seeds and introduction of GM foods without proper bio-safety assessment. In other words: world's largest biological experiment on humans has been going on since 1993 unchecked.
In order to ensure that these MNCs had absolute control over global seeds supply, Intellectual Property Rights [IPR] regime was forced upon the world while simultaneously laws curbing monopolies and restrictive trade practices were diluted. In order to enforce the IPR regime, World Trade Organization [WTO] was knocked into shape: how they take decisions remains shrouded in mystery. The patent for `Terminator' seeds, seeds that only germinate after certain proprietary chemicals are added, is jointly held by US Government and Monsanto Corporation. Henry Kissinger commissioned National Security Study Memo #200 [NSSM200] in 1974 and in this report he targets 13 developing countries including India and advocates the use of food as weapon. When the technology for gene splicing and patenting of life forms was allowed in 1978 by the US Supreme Court, the Kissinger Plan could be transformed into realistic operational possibility by just one US corporation….Monsanto. Monsanto is the Trojan horse.
If I could summarize the nature of Agriculture Biotechnology [or Ag-biotech] in one sentence, it would be: GM seeds are weapons of mass destruction [WMD]. They are designed as such and that in essence is the geo-politics of seeds.
Today, the situation is that five TNCs, the producers of transgenic seeds, quite simply can arrange hunger and mass culling at any point on the planet (even in Russia and China), by simply refusing to sell seeds to the country. To add to farmers' woe, we are not producing natural hybrids in substantial quantity and farmers don't save seeds, largely a gift of the Green Revolution.
The Regulators and Conflict of Interest: The GEAC has been packed with pro-industry persons, few have any serious credentials. Most have direct stake in promoting GM seeds; some are even related to owners of GM seeds' firms. Despite many exposes, they continue to hold positions in this regulatory body. [Annex 1]
I have written many articles published worldwide, appeared on national TV-channels in India, Pakistan and Nepal, and spoken all over India; people are scared, media is silent, governments complicit, and regulators utterly compromised. And I have often said that if these TNCs can be stopped by any, it'd be either the people of Bihar or Kerala or both. Now I hear that the Left Government of Kerala has allowed genetically engineered crops to be planted there. That leaves Bihar's farmers alone to battle it out. If the farmers of Bihar lose out to this latest onslaught on our food security and food sovereignty, rest assured that India will too. The only way to deal with them is to detect contamination and have the perpetrators arrested and jailed without giving them a chance for out of court settlement as happened in Percy Schmeiser vs. Monsanto, Canadian Supreme Court. Schmeiser, a farmer, agreed to an out of court settlement.
All I expect from you is to save Bihar, perhaps set an example for the rest of India to follow, to stop the historical mistake of allowing one company enslaving India; in the 18th Century it was East India Company, today it is Monsanto. The style has not changed; the covenants have not changed. India was a prize then; India continues to remain the prized last frontier to be conquered by destroying its food growing capability.
Kind regards Shri Nitish Kumar Honorable Chief Minister of Bihar Patna.
Annex 1 Massive conflicts of interest among Indian regulators (1/2/2007) http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=7512 How can we believe that Indian GM regulation is driven by farmers' interests? A look at some of the people involved in GM regulation in the country does not give us much hope that farmers' interests would be the foremost when the apex regulatory body, Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), supported by Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation (RCGM in the DBT) takes major decisions related to irreversible agricultural technologies to be used in the country. 1. Dr C D Mayee – Co-Chair of GEAC, nominee from DBT as per the reconstitution of GEAC that took place on January 25th 2007: Dr Charudatta Mayee, as reported in a leading national daily, is also a Board member of ISAAA an international network funded by biotech majors such as Monsanto, Bayer and Dupont and whose high-profile Board Members, past and present, include Monsanto's Robert Fraley, Wally Beversdorf of Syngenta, and Gabrielle Persley, Executive Director of the AusBiotech Alliance. In addition to the Rockefeller Foundation, its financial sponsors include Monsanto (USA), Syngenta (Swiss), Dow AgroSciences (USA), Pioneer Hi-Bred (USA), Cargill (USA), Bayer CropScience (Germany), and a mysterious "Anonymous Donor" (USA), and US-AID of the State Department. Dr C D Mayee's son, Dr Hrishikesh Mayee, is reported to have gotten married to the daughter of Mr Vijay Kashikar, a Director of Ankur Seeds on January 23 rd this year. Ankur Seeds is one of the Bt Cotton companies in India (reported to have a 300-crore turnover) which has been permitted by the GEAC to sell its genetically engineered seeds to the farmers. 2. Dr Venugopal – Earlier, a CICR-Coimbatore scientist who oversaw some field trials of certain Bt Cotton hybrids while with CICR [Central Institute for Cotton Research]. Now with Rasi Seeds, which has a growing market of Bt Cotton hybrids in India. 3. Dr T V Ramanaiah, Ex-Member-Secretary, Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation [RCGM], Department of Biotechnology: The person known for the many approvals he had personally given as Member-Secretary of RCGM to the hundreds of GM crop field trials that have happened in India so far (some of the hurried approvals for the scores of trials permitted had their share of "cut & paste" mistakes too!) has quit his post in the DBT and has joined Pioneer HiBred International (a subsidiary of DuPont) as their 'Biotech Regulatory Affairs Manager' (as per a phone call to PHI). He is further named as a Spokesperson of the All India Crop Biotechnology Association (AICBA) [as confirmed by a phone call to AICBA], an industry body consisting of several companies as its members – ones that have approved Bt Cotton varieties and other GE crops in the pipeline. This technocrat reported in a national business daily (Business Standard in November 2006, when violations from field trials were being reported including the fact that trials were taking place without the knowledge of trial farmers), to have said "As for informing farmers, how do you expect every farmer to be told about the various experiments that are being done?". The story goes on to quote RCGM authorities, presumably Dr Ramanaiah who is quoted extensively in the story as the RCGM voice,: "University of Hissar …. know it rather than telling hundreds of farmers about things they will not understand. '' 4. Dr Deepak Penthal: promoter of the controversial GM Mustard variety which has been permitted for trials by the Supreme Court in the ongoing Public Interest Litigation, on a conditional basis. He is also the Chairperson of a 12-member Expert Committee set up by the GEAC to look into the public feedback received on Mahyco's Bt Brinjal. Meanwhile, a closer look at the 30-member GEAC reveals more conflict of interest and questionable "independent" expertise. While their expertise may not be in doubt here, the 'independent' status alluded to is worth looking at. Other members in the GEAC : Dr Akhilesh Tyagi – UDSC (University of Delhi, South Campus) is shown as an Independent Expert whereas the Vice Chancellor himself is clearly a GM crop developer, walking up to the GEAC and the SC for approvals on behalf of the institution. Similarly, Prof A N Maitra, Dept. Of Chemistry, Delhi University is listed as an Independent Expert. Dr B M Khadi, Director of CICR is shown as an Independent Expert, when CICR is busy trying to get approvals for its GM cotton varieties from the GEAC! ICGEB (International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology) is a GM crop developer for GM cotton, GM Rice and GM Tobacco, as per DBT's reports in 2003 about GE crops in the pipeline (as reported by the USDA's GAIN report No. IN3125 in December 2003). The Director of ICGEB, Dr V S Chauhan is listed as an Independent Member of the GEAC! Dr P Anand Kumar of National Research Centre on Plant Biotechnology, (NRCPB), Indian Agricultural Research Institute is also listed as an Independent Expert. IARI incidentally is into developing Bt Brinjal, GM Mustard, GM Pigeonpea (2003), GM Tobacco (2003), GM Tomato (2003), GM Cauliflower (2003), GM Cabbage (2003) and GM Rice. [ http://www.iari.res.in/divisions/biotechnology/ has more information on the projects that Dr Anand Kumar has handled] Dr Rakesh Tuli of National Botanical Research Institute is also a regulator listed under "Nominees of Scientific Institutions" in the re-constituted GEAC list. Dr Tuli is also well-known for providing Bt genes to various institutions and companies for their transgenic crop development. The GEAC itself saw many Chairpersons change over the past few years including some periods when there was no Chairperson in place. The following is the list of Chairpersons who came in and went out since 2002: A M Gokhale, 2002, when the first Bt Cotton hybrids were allowed for commercial cultivation; his exit happened soon after rejection of possibly-Starlink-contaminated food aid consignments from the USA; Sushma Chowdhary - 2003; V K Duggal – came in mid-year 2003; Meena Gupta, around November 2003, after a gap without a Chair; Bina Chotray, in 2004; Suresh Chandra, from December 2004; No Chairperson during November 2005-January 2006; Bir Singh Parsheera, from February 2006. GEAC also does not have a set date for its meetings nor a quorum of members required for its decision-making. Given that only a small set of people seem to be appearing for the meetings for reasons and interests of their own, it is very hard to believe that decision-making in the apex regulatory body will actually ensure biosafety and the best interests of farmers and consumers in the country.--------------------------------------------------------- Your comments and feedbacks always welcome at Cybugle@yahoo.com as well as at bruntno1@yahoo.com ------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- ---- Working for God on earth does not pay much, but His Retirement plan is out of this world. Help someone have a nice day, visit www.thehungersite. com  ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~ ~ Feel free to forward this post in its entirety without changing the credits ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~ |
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