“GM Crops a Danger to India’s Food and Nutrition Security”
Published By kavitha On Tuesday, October 2nd 2012. Under Uncategorized Tags: GM & Yield, GM crops & food security, Superweeds
’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
COALITION FOR A GM-FREE INDIA WELCOMES THE PARLIAMENTARY STANDING COMMITTEE’S REPORT ON GM CROPS
Published By kavitha On Thursday, August 9th 2012. Under Uncategorized Tags: Basudeb Acharia, Biosafety, BRAI Bill, Bt brinjal, Bt cotton, GM crops, Parliamentary Standing Committee
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
‘Studies’ that hype Bt cotton benefits, don’t show how Bt technology contributed to yields: a brief critique
Published By kavitha On Tuesday, July 10th 2012. Under Uncategorized Tags: bollworm incidence, Bt cotton, Bt cotton and Yields
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
Bihar to continue ban on GM seeds
Published By kavitha On Monday, July 9th 2012. Under Uncategorized Tags: Bihar GM seeds ban, GM corn, GM seeds
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
GM label on packaged food soon in India…. MCA issues notification
Published By kavitha On Tuesday, June 19th 2012. Under Uncategorized Tags: Biosafety, GM food, GM label, health risks, Right to Know
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?
Published By kavitha On Friday, June 15th 2012. Under Uncategorized Tags: Bt cotton adoption, Bt cotton marketing
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
Time for a comprehensive evaluation of the Bt cotton experience: Jairam Ramesh
Published By kavitha On Friday, June 15th 2012. Under Uncategorized Tags: Bt cotton, Bt cotton evaluation in India
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
BT COTTON FAILED THE MAJORITY OF COTTON FARMERS IN INDIA: EXPERIENCE NEEDS TO BE REVIEWED COMPREHENSIVELY
Published By kavitha On Friday, June 15th 2012. Under Uncategorized Tags: Bt cotton review, Bt cotton suicides, cotton farmers distress
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 a decade of Bt cotton: National conference questions the success claims
Published By kavitha On Friday, June 15th 2012. Under Uncategorized Tags: Bt cotton, Bt cotton suicides, Cotton yields in India, Precautionary Principle, riskiness of Bt cotton
“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
On what basis is GEAC deciding to woo state govts on GM field trials?
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
ADVERTISING STANDARDS COUNCIL OF INDIA CONCLUDES THAT MAHYCO MONSANTO BIOTECH’S CLAIMS ON BOLLGARD ARE NOT SUBSTANTIATED
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
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 Tamil Nadu
Published By kavitha On Monday, November 21st 2011. Under Uncategorized Tags: Bt cotton, Failure, Insecticides
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
More MPs write to PM against BRAI bill…..
Published By kavitha On Saturday, November 19th 2011. Under Uncategorized Tags: BRAI Bill, MPs object
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
Farm & Food Activists Demand Scrapping of BRAI Bill 2011
Published By kavitha On Saturday, November 12th 2011. Under Uncategorized Tags: BRAI Bill, Bt cotton, Field Trials, States
FARM & FOOD ACTIVISTS DEMAND SCRAPPING OF BRAI BILL 2011: Ask State Govt to raise its voice against the Bill and protect farmers’ interests – Seek disallowing of GM crop field trials in the state
Chennai, November 11, 2011: Farmers’ leaders from all over Tamil Nadu, cutting across various affiliations, demanded ... Continue Reading