When the embassy’s science and technology advisor Dr Nina Fedoroff met with Planning Commission deputy chairman Dr Montek Singh Ahluwalia just before Ramesh made the announcement on February 9, Ahluwalia ’noted that many of the non-government organisations in India protesting Bt brinjal were in fact closely associated with and funded by European NGOs’. He also felt that the public consultation process on Bt brinjal initiated by Ramesh was ’one sided’.

see cable at:

http://wikileaks.org/cable/2010/02/10NEWDELHI275.html

Mahyco will have to wait for one more year to launch Bt cottonseeds with Roundup Ready Flex technology as Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (asked the firm to repeat trials. [...] While considering Mahyco’s plea for permission to conduct the crucial Biosafety Research Level trials on RRF hybrids in July 2011, the GEAC asked the company to record data during pre and post spray of Roundup herbicide.

The committee objected to use of non-Bt RRF in refuge area. The company however argued that it did not result in environmental release as it was planted in small area with adequate isolation.

In a surprise raid conducted by officials of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights at farms in Sabarkantha and Banaskantha, around 12-13 children were found working even during this off-season period. The officials are in Gujarat on a three-day visit to meet NGOs working against child labour, and government officials. NCPCR member Yogesh Dubey says, “We reached Ahmedabad on Friday and on Saturday visited Sabarkantha and Banaskantha. During our surprise visits we found children working in BT cotton seeds fields. Four children were working on one farm and 8 on another.”

On the 142nd birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, noted agricultural scientist M S Swaminathan told that the proposed Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India bill is against the spirit of Gandhi and decentralised governance. “[... ]Unlike the National Biodiversity Act, the Brai bill does not consult with people at the panchayat level,” said Swaminathan who proposed in 2003 the idea of an autonomous and professionally led body for assessing the safety of genetically modified crops. “There is also a case of conflict of interest. The regulator of genetically modified food cannot be under Brai. For example, the atomic energy regulatory board cannot function under the department of atomic energy,” he added.

Gujarat produces about half of India’s cotton, adroitly using its Bt version this decade to boost yields and lower costs. [...] The Bt cotton plant is smaller than normal cotton, and that drives the demand for child workers. It helps that they have small, nimble fingers for the delicate work of pollination. Since agricultural labour is not a hazardous occupation, the labour laws say children under 14 can work, but only for six hours a day with an hour’s rest in between. [...] Work hours in the cotton fields stretch up to 14 hours, and children exposed to insecticides report a variety of health hazards.

The board had sought permission from Kerala and Maharashtra to conduct trials in those states. Having declared GM-free, Kerala government had openly opposed the field trials. “Kerala has not responded to our request and Maharashtra still says the request is being processed. Now, we are looking at other states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to conduct the trials. We will approach the MoEF on this before going to the respective state governments,” said Sheela Thomas, chairperson, rubber board.

Genetically modified pest-resistant crops may not be the panacea they are made out to be, a new study shows, with specific reference to Bt cotton. The field trial by scientists in Nagpur shows that the soil the plants are grown in matters almost as much as insect-killing genes and pesticide sprays. The finding could significantly increase the amount of money farmers spend in buying and spraying pesticides. It could also mean lower yields than those promised by manufacturers of GM seeds.

Authorities first encouraged farmers in Vidarbha to opt for genetically modified Bt cotton, saying the yield will be huge. Despite initial resistance, aggressive campaigning by brand ambassadors like Nana Patekar saw many a farmer convert in the hope they would make a killing. “With our native species, even if flowering failed due to excessive rain in the first half of the season, we would still manage at least some yield since the plants flower again. Bt cotton only flowers once and any failure means re-sowing the expensive Rs1,200-a-packet seeds,” says Golewar’s neighbour, Ambadas Rathod, who is also calculating his losses.

The myth that genetically modified crops are harmful to people and environment is wrong. Farmers and the public must be made aware of it scientifically, according to Palpu Pushpangadan, Director-General, Amity Institute for Herbal and Biotech Products Development, Thiruvananthapuram. [...] The population is on the rise and so is malnutrition and it is in this context that transgenic crops gain significance,” he said. [...] The yield of GM crop cultivation per hectare will be three fold more and of better quality than the normal crop.

The myth that genetically modified crops are harmful to people and environment is wrong. Farmers and the public must be made aware of it scientifically, according to Palpu Pushpangadan, Director-General, Amity Institute for Herbal and Biotech Products Development, Thiruvananthapuram. [...] The population is on the rise and so is malnutrition and it is in this context that transgenic crops gain significance,” he said. [...] The yield of GM crop cultivation per hectare will be three fold more and of better quality than the normal crop.