HAMARA BEEJ Abhiyan, a movement to restore the right to seed of farmers, has launched a campaign against the introduction of Genetically Modified food. Formally titled ’I am no lab rat’, this campaign highlights the fact that human beings are being subjected to a mass experiment by way of GM food [...] The concern that this campaign points out is that genes of sexually incompatible species are being interchanged. Spider, scorpion, toxic bacteria and even human genes are being introduced into such commonly consumed food such as brinjal, cabbage, cowpeas, okra and even rice

Dramatic price increases have left nearly a billion people hungry worldwide. As World Poverty Day draws attention to the issue, DW’s Dennis Stute speaks with activist Vandana Shiva about India’s huge hunger levels. Dr. Vandana Shiva is a physicist, ecologist, activist and author. In India she has established Navdanya, a movement for biodiversity conservation and farmers’ rights. She also directs the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Natural Resource Policy.

We chose this predominantly dry district in central Tamil Nadu as the entire cotton-growing area of 80,000 acres (largest in the state) is under BT cotton cultivation. What’s more, the farmers have seen both the eras: they grew the conventional cotton varieties for decades till the massive crop failure of 2002-03. The magnitude of loss was so great that they gave up on cotton for the next few years and shifted to cultivating maize. Only after the introduction of BT cotton (in 2004-05) did the farmers gradually return to their preferred crop.

Mandatory labelling of genetically modified (GM) food in India is likely to be delayed as the Union health ministry has planned to pass on the responsibility to the newly set up autonomous Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSA). [...] The panel recommendations on a vital issue like mandatory labelling of GM food has not been implemented due to pressures from the biotech industry and the US, which had cited reasons for hampering global trade.

The Genetic Engineering Approvals Committee, which regulates the testing and introduction of genetically-modified crops in the country, is doing its best to eject a troublesome court-appointed body from its midst. [...] Bhargava had pointed out lapses in its supervision of the regulatory process, questioned some of its claims on the safety of GM crops and spoken out in the media. In response, the GEAC, in its meetings on July 9 and August 13, said (in minutes that are on its website) ”that Dr Bhargava was responsible for the malicious and distorted views on the regulatory process being reported in the newspapers periodically”. Bhargava was not present on either occasion, nor was the matter listed on the agenda.

German biotechnology and agrochemical company Bayer CropScience AG, a subsidiary of drug maker Bayer AG, intends to work directly with Indian farmers to research, innovate and introduce new varieties of hybrid seeds in the local market. The firm’s Indian arm, Bayer CropScience Ltd, will facilitate retailers to buy produce from more than 1,000 farmers enrolled with its project called food-chain partnership. [...] In return, the company will use these farms for on-field research and development, said Birgitt Walz-Tylla, global head of Bayer CropScience’s food chain management.

Now it is understandable that government machinery in Punjab is more worried to offer market to MNCs rather then serving the genuine interests of farmers. Recently a Punjab government agency Markfed has signed a MoU with Syngenta to provide agrochemicals and its right practices on farmers’ doorstep. This indicates that either the government officials do not have understanding of real crisis of farmers or they do not want to understand it. There is a strong third possibility also that Marked and its parent department wants to serve MNCs only sans the poor farmers.

India, the world’s biggest buyer of vegetable oil after China, may produce more monsoon-sown oilseeds as early rains increase planting of soybeans. Output may total 20.84 million metric tons, 5 percent more from a year earlier, Federal Agriculture Commissioner N.B. Singh said in an interview in New Delhi today. [...] India, which grows non-genetically modified soybeans, sells more than 70 percent of its animal feed output abroad.

K C Bansal from Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI) said that with successful field trials of Bt Cotton and Bt Brinjal, both these crops would be commercially available in the market from 2009. Commenting on the other crops that were in pipeline, Bansal said that trials were being conducted on crops like okra, cabbage, cauliflower, chickpea and rice and in coming future these crops would also be available in genetically modified varieties. While the Bt cotton (variety) Bikaneri Narma would be marketed by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the Bt Brinjal would be marketed by Mahyco (Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company).

Gene Campaign has sought a ban on the field trials of Bt rice that are taking place in parts of the country ”in violation of regulations and conditions laid down for field trials of genetically modified crops.” Saying that no country -- that is the centre of origin of any crop -- allows genetically modified(GM) version of that crop so as to protect the genetic wealth and diversity, Suman Sahai of the Campaign said that it was for that reason that Mexico banned GM corn, Peru disallowed GM potato, and China banned GM soyabean.