Members of the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) - THE KEY ADVISORY COMMITTEE THAT MET THIS MORNING - are refusing to say anything about its decision but the CHAIRMAN of the GEAC HAS SAID THAT THEY HAVE FORMED A SMALL GROUP WHICH WILL GIVE ITS REPORT TO THE CHAIRMAN IN A FEW DAYS.
We understand that this is very probably just a clever COVER-UP. And it needs to be STRONGLY opposed. This decision is actually the result of the pressure exerted in the last two days.
Devinder Sharma of the Forum for Biotechnology and Food Security sends his thanks to all those who have already contacted the Indian government:
"I am told that some 300 emails have been received from all over the world by the offices of the Prime Minister, Agriculture Minister, Health Minister and the Environment Minister. I must express my grateful thanks to all those who responded..."
LET'S BUILD THE SUPPORT DURING THE NEXT FEW CRITICAL DAYS
PLEASE ASK EVERYONE YOU KNOW TO HELP KEEP UP THE PRESSURE IN SUPPORT OF INDIA'S FARMERS' GROUPS AND OTHER NGOs.
Here's a letter from PSRAST. CONTACT DETAILS below for MORE MESSAGES! - please pass to all your friends and colleagues.
Physicians and Scientists for Responsible Application of Science and Technology (PSRAST)
To: His Excellency, Shri Nitish Kumar, Minister of Agriculture.
Dear Sir,
We are greatly concerned to learn that commercialisation of Mahyco-Monsanto's Bt Cotton is considered without proper evaluation of the environmental consequences.
PSRAST is an a global non-governmental organization of scientists. Our purpose is to ensure responsible application of modern technology. We are not against genetic engineering in principle but our impartial evaluation of the technology has concluded that much too little is known about its consequences to justify any release of crops, trees, animals including fish, insects and bacteria. An important point is that much too little is known about DNA too make it possible to foresee the ecological consequences of releasing transgenic DNA into the envirionment. There may be consequences impossible to imagine with our limited knowledge of today. For a very brief summary of our conclusions see
"Major conclusions about the safety of genetically engineered foods" at http://www.psrast.org/sumkeypstp.htm . For more details, see
"Is there sufficient scientific knowledge to ensure safe commercial exploitation of genetically engineered foods?" at http://www.psrast.org/defknow.htm
Although the above documents deal especially with the food aspects, much of the reasoning is applicable to genetically engineered cotton (including the fact that it may be eaten by animals and insects).
For our general evaluation of the environmental aspects, see "Is there sufficient knowledge about environmental effects to justify release of GE organisms?" at http://www.psrast.org/defknenvir.htm
Our evaluation has in principle recently been confirmed by the 8000 environmental scientists of the Ecological Society of America, see their statement at http://esa.sdsc.edu/statement0601.htm. The ESA statement agrees with us in saying a/o:
"... some GMOs can possess genuinely new characteristics that may require greater scrutiny than organisms produced by traditional techniques of plant and animal breeding. Since long-term ecological impacts of GMOs may be extremely difficult to predict or study prior to commercialization, ESA strongly recommends a cautious approach to releasing GMOs into the environment."
Your own Council of Agriculture Research has enumerated several reasons for a cautious approach in the case of Bt Cotton.
In addition to the risks enumerated by this council, we want to draw your attention to the concerns expressed by soil experts about potential genetic contamination of the soil as it has been shown that DNA from GE plants is transferred to the soil and can be taken up by soil bacteria. It is suspected that this might, in the worst case may affect soil ecology and fertility. If so, the damage may be irreparable.
See: Genetically Engineered Crops - a Threat to Soil Fertility? (condensate for laymen) http://www.psrast.org/soilecol.htm and full article at http://www.psrast.org/soilecolart.htm
and "Soil Effects of Transgenic Agriculture: Biological Processes and Ecological Consequences" at http://www.psrast.org/soilecolnz.htm
We find that, by considering the approval of Mahyco-Monsanto's Bt Cotton, without proper and careful evaluation, the Indian government is taking unpredictable and unjustifiable environmental risks.
Sincerely Yours,
Jaan Suurkula M.D. Chairman of PSRAST E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Physicians and Scientists for Responsible Application of Science and Technology (PSRAST)
A Global Network for impartial interdisciplinary evaluation of the safety and value of new technologies
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Fax: +1-(703)-783-7231 (USA) +46 322 620944 (Europe) Tel: +46-322-622966 Address: Forsetev 10, 182 67 Djursholm, Sweden. Website: http://www.psrast.org
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CONTACT DETAILS FOR INDIAN GOVERNMENT
Please fax (or email if you have no fax) these people today (see EXAMPLE message below)
Online email to Office of the Prime Minister (Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee ) http://pmindia.nic.in/writetous.htm
*Shri T. R. Baalu, Union Cabinet Minister (Environment & Forests) Fax +91 11 3354590 / +91 11 4362222 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
*P.V.Jayakrishnan, Secretary of State for Environment & Forests: Fax:+91 11 4362016 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
*Dr. C. P. Thakur, Minister for Health and Family Welfare: Fax: +91-11-3016648 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. *Shri Nitish Kumar, Agriculture Minister: Fax: +91 11 3386004 / +91 11 3384555 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
*Shri Shripad Yesso Naik, Minister of State for Agriculture: Fax: +91 113386098 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Your (or your organisation's) own personal message is obviously best but if short of time see example below: *EXAMPLE MESSAGE*
Dear Sir(s)
We understand from NGOs in India that there is tremendous pressure on Indian bureaucrats and scientists to approve Mahyco-Monsanto's Bt transgenic cotton for commercialisation.
Many farming and welfare organisations in India have grave concerns about the social and economic impact of genetically modified cotton on the poor. These crops will not benefit small farmers and landless workers but only destroy their jobs and increase the gap between rich and poor. Many also have concerns about the impact of this crop on their environment and on the health of animals eating seed products from these crops.
We agree with the calls from Indian farmers' unions and other NGOs for full public debate, free exchange of information, proper safety research and careful assessment of the socio-economic impact of these crops before any approval is considered. We understand that the India Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has already demanded that such precautions are taken. We support the ICAR's requirements for proper research prior to commercialisation
The approval should not be rushed through without time to consult farmers or properly assess the potentially disastrous environmental, socio-economic and health impact for India.
We understand an official press release by the Press Information Bureau last year had listed ICAR's concerns and quoted the Ministry oficials as saying that these would be studied. To ignore ICAR's environmental and social concerns would surely constitute a cruel FRAUD on the Indian people.
We understand Agriculture Minister Nitish Kumar said recently that all aspects of the issue would be carefully examined prior to any question of GM cotton cultivation. The important socio-economic, environmental safety and health considerations must not be pushed to one side in the rush to commercialisation.
In a presentation to the GEAC last year, the India Council of Agriculture Research suggested further detailed studies were required, to include:
* nutritional studies on buffaloes and cows
* studies on the development of resistance of other plant pests
* toxicity studies on other animal species like poultry and fish under Indian conditions
* studies on the stability of Cry 1Ac gene;
* studies on gene flow and pollen dispersal and an assessment of the impact of such a migration on non-transgenic cotton
* a report from Indian laboratories to determine Bt seeds do not contain the controversial terminator gene
* a study to generate socio-economic data like the cost of transgenic cottonseed, projected demand, and the area to be covered under transgenic cotton cultivation.
India is a country with a respected reputation for democracy. We encourage you to stand up to bullying by biotechnology corporations, the United States and the World Trade Organisation and to defend the interests of millions of poor farmers and the health of your citizens and your environment. We ask you to listen to these people, to consult widely and to carefully evaluate these crops instead of being forced into a rushed decision that could harm your nation.
Please act cautiously and wisely and do not approve Mahyco-Monsanto's GM cotton without proper evaluation and debate.
Yours faithfully