GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMs

BIO - TECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE –
DOES IT AUGUR PROSPERITY OR PERIL?
Introduction:
Genetic engineering in agriculture has significantly increased the economic uncertainty of family farmers throughout the world including the USA. Genetic engineering has created social and economic disruption that threatens traditional agricultural practices for farmers around the world. To day a fallacy is propagated that Bio – Technology in agriculture is unbiased and free from the Trans National Corporations (TNCs). The learned Bio – Technologists in these countries also unscrupulously go with the Trans National Corporations (TNCs) for the huge amount as salary and perks. In the absence of any field-test of the Genetically Modified (GM) organisms in the food industry, entry of such Genetically Modified (GM) organisms threatens the food security hitherto enjoyed by various countries.

Is it safe?
It is assumed that Genetically Modified (GM) foods make healthier society. If it were true why the entire European countries have banned the entry of Genetically Modified (GM) foods and insisting on the labeling of the food that it does not contain Genetically Modified (GM) foods. The reason for labeling gains all the more importance as the corn meant for animal consumption got mixed up with the corn meant of human consumption in Japan in October.2000. Incidentally 90 % of food imports of Japan are form the US. Now the environmentalists and consumer forums in Japan are forcing the Japanese government to enact suitable laws to regulate the import of Genetically Modified (GM) foods with proper labeling. Similarly, a legislative motion has been submitted to the Congress of the Philippines to ban field-testing even for experimental nature. In India also the Union Agriculture Minister Mr. Nitish Kumar has made a categorical assurance in the Parliament that the country is not importing any Genetically Modified (GM) food.

What many farmers have found about genetic engineering?
Genetically engineered agricultural products were released on the market without a fair and open process to assess the risk so the human health and the environment or the social and economic risks to farmers and rural communities. Family farmers’ livelihoods and independence will be further compromised by genetic engineering. Genetic engineering empowers corporate agribusiness to accelerate capital and chemical intensive agriculture at the expense of family farmers and rural communities around the world creases corporate concentration in agriculture, and poses unknown risks to the safety and security of the food supply. Genetic engineering disrupts traditional agricultural practices creating social upheaval in rural comminutes and threatening agrarian cultures throughout the world. Consumers worldwide are rejecting Genetically Modified (GM) foods, driving down farm prices. This will force significant numbers of family farmers out of business.
Family farmers have been unfairly forced to assume liability t o genetically engineered products that were not adequately tested before being released into the environment and food supply. The corporate ownership of genetic resources and the corporate use of genetic engineering in agriculture is not designed to solve the problems farmers face in agriculture such as increased weed resistance, growing staple crops on marginal land, or making traditionally bred crops available to farmers worldwide, but rater to enrich corporations. Genetically engineered seeds increase costs to farmers, have failed to perform as promised by corporate agribusiness, and, in some cases, yields have been lower and corps engineered to be herbicide tolerant have required increased use of herbicides manufactured by the corporations that market the seeds. The “terminator” gene, which renders corporate seed sterile and was developed with USDA resources, is an unconscionable technology because it destroys life and destroys the right of farmers worldwide to save seeds, a basic step necessary to protect food security and biodiversity.
(Source: http://www.nffc.net/bio1.htm)

What is the view of Bio – Technologists?
Some Bio – Technologists like Prof. Dronamraju are issuing conduct certificate to the TNC in Bio - Technology for agriculture. Since most of them are employed in the US, they freely recommend Bio - Technology in agriculture with sound knowledge that such move would ruin millions of farmers in the world especially in the Third World. The country has recently witnessed the cruel suicide of more than 500 cotton farmers in the Andhra Pradesh as the high breed seeds and the pesticides have failed them. Also recently the cotton growers in the Salem district have met with the similar failure. The Salem farmers procured seeds from M/s. Novartis, a TNC.

Is there a field-testing?
Nowhere in the world field-testing of Genetically Modified (GM) foods has been done despite the pressure from the WTO to open up the agriculture of the member countries. In the Development Decade (1960-70) the developed countries ruined the agriculture of the Third World by dumping tones of fertilizers and pesticides.

Who are behind the scenes?
Now let us see which are the forces behind the Bio - Technology researches in agriculture. The top 5 Trans National Corporations (TNCs) in the Pesticide market (together they share a whooping 32 Billion World Market) are Monsanto, Aventis, Novartis, Bayer and BASF. These Trans National Corporations (TNCs) have suddenly evinced keen interest in Bio - Technology in agriculture as the competition in the pesticides market has increased and in order to beat the co competitors these Trans National Corporations (TNCs) are vying with each other to enter into Seed Companies.

Where are the business ethics?
The Genetically Modified (GM) seeds have a biological switch that without the spraying of the particular brand of pesticide the further growth is arrested. The seed and the pesticides go together. It is a down right day light robbery on the world peasantry and the consumers. The ethics in the business has been thrown to winds, as no legislation at present exist in any country on the Genetically Modified (GM) foods. The Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and the Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) pushed vehemently by the US in the final round of talks at GATT at Uruguay and the incorporating of the same in the WTO is in fact an agenda not of the US but of the above Trans National Corporations (TNCs).

PEOPLE’S CARAVAN – 2000 CITIZENS ON THE MARCH FOR LAND AND FOOD WITHOUT POISONS:
In November 2000 the Penang (Malaysia) based PESTICIDE ACTION NETWORK a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) had organized a fortnight campaign from Nov 13th to Nov 30th on the PEOPLE’S CARAVAN – 2000 CITIZENS ON THE MARCH FOR LAND AND FOOD WITHOUT POISONS in India, Bangladesh and the Philippines. The campaign was to high light the harmful effects of Genetically Modified (GM) foods and the indiscriminate use of Bio – Technology in agriculture. The campaign was organized with the local collaboration of the Society For Rural Education And Development, Arakonam, Tamil Nadu, Tamil Nadu Women’s Forum, Chennai 23, PREPARE, CIKS, India, Policy Research For Development Alternatives (UBINIG), the Naya Krishi Andolan (New Agriculture Movement) and SHISUK, Bangladesh, the KMP–Peasants Movement Of The Philippines (the Philippines), GITA PERTIWI, (Indonesia), NESSFE (Japan), CACPK (Korea), Pesticide Legal Action Network, Institute Of Political Development, Assembly Of The Poor (Thailand), Food First (US).


Conclusion:
Scientists and activists who are otherwise known to mince their words have enriched their vocabulary with expressions like “genetic imperialism” and “Bio – serfdom. ”Now the MOU signed between the Cornel University, USA and TIDCO in Tamil Nadu is going to open the unprotected farmers to the machinations of the TNCs. This important event has not been discussed in the Tamil Nadu Assembly or in any Science Forums. The “samba ” seeds of the Tamil Nadu have been permanently lost due to the onslaught of the Green Revolution. The organic farmers, environmentalists, farmers associations, and concerned individuals are greatly perturbed by this entry of the Trans National Corporations TNCs into Bio - Technology in agriculture and the threats involved in the sovereignty of the country. If not checked in time the due to the onslaught of the TNCs the Indian farmers may permanently lose their traditional organic seeds to the terminator seeds of the Trans National Corporations (TNCs).


For further information:
1. SOCIO EDUCATIONALTRUST: 279/4,ANNAI THERESA NAGAR,
THIMMAVARAM, CHENGALPATTU. 603101
E-MAIL: setjr@md4.vsnl.netin: Fax: 04114-26295.
2. PAN – AP: Penang, Malaysia. E-MAIL: panap@panap.po.my
Website: www.poptel.org.uk/panap/caravan.htm
3. SRED & TNWF, Tamil Nadu India: E-MAIL: burnad@md3.vsnl.net.in
4. UBINIG & NYAKRISHI ANDOLAN: E-MAIL: ubinig@citechco.net/nkrishi@bdmail.net
5. KMP, the Philippines: e-mail: kmp@quuickweb.com.ph