IndiaGMInfo

Today (October 2nd 2012), civil society, particularly from the host country India, urged global leaders at the MOP6 on Biosafety Protocol to follow the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), in letter and spirit, to ensure that our biodiversity and with it the access of the local people to their biological ... Continue Reading

’GM lobbyists’ claims of yield advantage for GMOs unfounded, state international scientists’ Hyderabad, September 27th 2012: GM crops do not provide a solution to current and coming challenges. These include climate change, increased losses from pests, increasing population, scarce water and expensive energy and fertilizers. Analysis of Monsanto’s new drought-tolerant ... Continue Reading

ASKS GOVERNMENT TO IMMEDIATELY STOP ALL FIELD TRIALS. ALSO DEMANDS GOVT THROW OUT THE BRAI BILL AND BRING IN A BIOSAFETY STATUTE, AND STOP CALLING BT COTTON IN INDIA A SUCCESS New Delhi, August 9, 2012: Calling the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture’s report on GM crops a historic, comprehensive and ... Continue Reading

The following is a brief critique in the context of two 'studies' that claim great benefits, especially to smallholders, from Bt cotton in India. http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2012/06/25/1203647109.full.pdf+html http://farmersforum.in/policy/study-on-socio-economic-impact-assessment-of-bt-cotton-in-india/ Has Bt technology improved cotton yields in India? Though studies after studies are being brought out by the biotech proponents and industry, claiming that they have findings to ... Continue Reading

PATNA: Over 500 varieties of different crop seeds were on display at Gandhi Museum here as agriculturists from all over the country descended on the state capital to take part in the 'Seed Festival' being organized to promote the practice of saving seeds by farmers. "Seed is the basic input and ... Continue Reading

The Ministry of consumer affairs in an extra ordinary gazette notification, made an amendment to bring in GM food labeling under G.S.R. 427 (E) 2 (b) (ii) after sub rule 6, the following sub rule shall be inserted with effect from 1st day of January 2013, namely (7) Every packaged ... Continue Reading

IS ADOPTION OF Bt COTTON AN INDICATOR OF ITS SUCCESS? Very often, it is argued by biotech proponents and others that the very adoption of Bt cotton in India is an indicator of its success. This is a short response on such arguments. Adoption cannot be an indicator of success or desirability ... Continue Reading

THE FOLLOWING IS A CLARIFICATORY MAIL SENT BY UNION MINISTER MR JAIRAM RAMESH TO ABLE-AG, AFTER A PRESS RELEASE WAS PUT OUT BY THE INDUSTRY LOBBY GROUP QUOTING THE MINISTER OPPORTUNISTICALLY AND "APPROPRIATE HIS REMARKS TO ITS ADVANTAGE". From: Jairam Ramesh To: seetharama@ableindia.org Cc: Kavitha Kuruganti ; Pushpa Mittra Bhargava Sent: Wednesday, 13 June ... Continue Reading

Ten years of Bt cotton in India: Review findings (Annexure to Press Note released by CEE/CSA/CSD on June 13th 2012) A 10-year review process of Bt cotton in India was initiated by Centre for Environment Education (Ahmedabad), Centre for Sustainable Agriculture (Hyderabad) and Council for Social Development (New Delhi), through a national ... Continue Reading

“RIGHT TIME TO REVIEW TEN YEARS OF Bt COTTON” - NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON Bt COTTON QUESTIONS THE SUCCESS CLAIMS: EXPRESSES CONCERN ON THREAT TO OUR SEED SOVEREIGNTY New Delhi, June 12, 2012: A two-day national conference to review ten years of Bt cotton experience in India, by various stakeholders including farmers’ groups, ... Continue Reading

Coalition for a GM-Free India New Delhi 7th May 2012 To, Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan The H’ble Minister, MoSEF (Independent Charge) Government of India. SUBJECT: YOUR STATEMENT IN PARLIAMENT ON 27 MARCH 2012: ‘DELAY IN NOCS FOR GM CROPS TRIALS’ Dear Madam Minister, Greetings from the Coalition for GM-Free India. In your statement in the Rajya Sabha on 27 March 2012, ... Continue Reading

A prominent advertisement by Mahyco-Monsanto Biotech Ltd titled “Bollgard boosts the Indian cotton farmers’ income by over Rs. 31,500 crores” that appeared in Hindustan Times on August 30th 2011, was found to be not substantiated in its claims by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI). ASCI found that the ... Continue Reading

FORMER SC JUDGES OPPOSE BILL ON BIOTECHNOLOGY Chetan Chauhan chetan@hindustantimes.com Ahead of the winter session of Parliament, former judges of the Supreme Court have questioned the efficacy of three bills on new regulatory authority for biotechnology sector, unfair practices in higher education and constitution of education tribunals. The winter session has hectic ... Continue Reading

Bt cotton fails farmers in state CHENNAI: For Arul Venkatesan, a cotton-growing farmer in the Aroor block of Dharmapuri district, the stand that Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa took in the Assembly in August, that her government will not “promote” GM crops in the State, “struck the ears like music”. Venkatesan was one ... Continue Reading

Ms Ashwadesh Devi, Shri Umashankar Singh and Shri Omprakash Yadav - Lok Sabha MPs - also write in to the Prime Minister, asking him not to introduce the BRAI Bill in the Parliament. ... Continue Reading