Norman Borlaug is in India at the moment pitching for GMOs but still the bad news keeps pouring in. It's hard to think how anything other than corruption could be keeping the biotech boat afloat.

The recent extension of Bt cotton growing is rightly described below as a "violation of the precautionary principle as it fails to acknowledge the overwhelming evidence of disaster in the fields. This clearly vindicates the stand that a deep corporate-government nexus exists and in fact, has made it apparent that this has tainted even the highest levels of bureaucracy." (item 2)

1.Review of all Bt cotton varieties urged
2.GEAC - Protector or Perpetrator?
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1.Review of all Bt cotton varieties urged
Indo-Asian News Service
http://www.eians.com/stories/2005/03/17/17she.shtml

New Delhi, March 17 (IANS) Leading environmentalist [actually, geneticist] Suman Sahai Thursday urged the government to protect farmers' interests by reviewing the performance of all genetically modified cotton permitted for commercial cultivation.

On the basis of studies done on the performance of Bt cotton varieties of US-seed major Mahyco-Monsanto and Rasi Seed Company, which got an approval last year, Sahai said for the third consecutive year, Monsanto's seeds had failed to deliver a good production.

"The performance of all Bt cotton varieties must be reviewed to determine their suitability to Indian conditions," said Sahai at a press conference to share the findings of her organisation Gene Campaign.

The latest study in three districts of Andhra Pradesh - Warangal, Guntur and Prakasam - has revealed large-scale cultivation of illegal Bt cotton varieties, proliferation of poor quality seeds and a low output from Monsanto Bt cotton varieties.

Sahai alleged that farmers in Andhra Pradesh have suffered heavy losses with Monsanto's MECH-12 and MECH-14 varieties as "they were found to be largely ineffective against bollworm".

Further, the yield per acre of Monsanto varieties was the lowest at four quintals as compared to nine quintal from conventional high-yielding varieties and 11 quintal an acre from Rasi's Bt cotton variety RCH-2, Sahai said.

Alleging that inferior and spurious seeds are being mixed and sold by Monsanto, Sahai questioned the justification for the company being given a three years' renewed licence to market its genetically modified seeds.

"It is absurd that before there is any review of the reported bad performance of the Monsanto cotton, the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee has approved new varieties for Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan," said Sahai.

Genetically modified (GM) cotton is so far the only crop that has been approved for commercial cultivation in India, while globally several other crops like soybean, animal feed corn and canola are also being cultivated.

The scientific and environmental community is divided on the benefits of GM crops, especially its adverse impact in a biodiversity-rich country like India.

As India has found in the case of oilseeds, globally non-GM products are continuing to fetch a better price, which the environmentalists contend is among the varied reasons the country should protect the farmers' interests.

Even in the case of Rasi seeds, Sahai said despite the high yield, there is a major weakness in the plant, which breaks easily and is vulnerable to suckling pests.

Owing to the weakness of the plant, farmers are only able to do two pickings of cotton.

She said the quality of Bt cotton is far inferior to the conventional high-yielding varieties, which are, however, being overshadowed by the hype created over genetically modified seeds.
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2.GEAC - Protector or Perpetrator?
INDIA/New Delhi
http://www.greenpeace.org/india_en/news/details?item%5fid=777255

The overwhelming evidence on the failure of Bt cotton in Andhra Pradesh and gross regulatory failure of Bt Cotton across the country has forced
the GEAC not to renew Monsanto's' permission for Mech-12, Mech-162' and Mech-184 varieties introduced in 2002. This decision has been deferred for review to the 13th of April.

However, the inconsistency of their decision is highlighted in having completely ignored the warning signals from the central and south Indian states, and hastily granting approval to 6 new Bt Cotton hybrids for north India.

By doing so they have shown themselves as being limited to an 'approval' committee, and as having no respect for the experiences and opinions of a diverse section of voices from civil society.

This decision is in clear violation of the precautionary principle as it fails to acknowledge the overwhelming evidence of disaster in the fields.

This clearly vindicates the stand that a deep corporate-government nexus exists and in fact, has made it apparent that this has tainted even the highest levels of bureaucracy.