GMO cotton seeds made by Monsanto collaborator banned in Indian state after crops fail

GMO cotton seeds made by Monsanto collaborator banned in Indian state after crops fail

(NaturalNews) Genetically modified (GM) Bt cotton produced by Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company (Mahyco), a collaborator with international biotech kingpin Monsanto, has officially been banned from the Indian state of Karnataka, a major cotton-producing region of India, after the heavily hyped transgenic crop failed to deliver on both pest resistance and yields.

Hailed by Mahyco as the answer to higher yields and improved pest resistance, the crop turned out to be a complete dud, leading to about 54,000 hectares', or around 133,000 acres', worth of failed cotton crops. For the farmers who planted all this fake cotton, this translates into a financial loss of 230 crore rupees, or the U.S. equivalent of nearly $38.1 million.

According to the Bangalore Mirror, the Karnataka government made a bold move on behalf of the farmers involved by quickly moving to ban and blacklist the company from the region after learning of the crop failures. Rather than slap the company on the wrist with a simple fine, which is what Mahyco requested, authorities decided to defend its farmers.

From this point on, Mahyco is barred "from participating in any form in any agricultural process involving supply of Bt seeds in the state," reads the ban, noting that crop losses were widespread, stretching across seven state districts.

Karnataka government puts people over corporations
A stark contrast to what very likely would have taken place here in the U.S. under similar circumstances, Karnataka officials rejected an initial plea by Mahyco to simply compensate the injured farmers as well as the government in exchange for continuing to do business as usual. The government of Karnataka decided instead that this would be a major injustice.

"Usually private companies offer compensation and the government lets them off the hook, but the state government has decided to act tough on Mahyco," stated a source familiar with the situation to the Bangalore Mirror. "Farmers have suffered massive losses as the crops have failed despite the company making tall advertisements about the superiority of its genetically-modified seeds."

You can be sure that if the same thing happened here in the U.S., the federal government would hardly stand up against Big Biotech. In fact, multinational ag companies now call the shots here in the fascist states of America, where the little guy is just a source of labor for the corporations that control the government for their own interests.

"Accepting their (Mahyco's) compensation proposal would have tied the state government hands," added the same unnamed source. "The government has decided to compensate farmers for the loss they have incurred and will pay Rs 6,000 [$100] per hectare. This will mean a burden of Rs 35 crore [$5.8 million]."

India far less corrupt than US when it comes to agriculture
Mind you, the Karnataka government's decision in this matter came at a loss to itself. Not only did government officials reject what can only be described as a cash bribe from Mahyco to ignore the injustice, but it also voluntarily agreed to compensate farmers throughout the area at a financial loss.

This type of thing would never happen in the U.S., of course, where our own representatives actually fight against us on simple, common-sense measures in the public interest like increasing transparency through GMO labeling. The Indian government, it seems, is actually more people-minded than our own government when it comes to agricultural policies in the public interest.

"Other than health concerns, this incident raises fingers against those groups who have been advocating higher output of GM crops," wrote one commenter over at Business Standard about the situation. "[It's] high time to kick-start ongoing discussions taking further in particular economic aspects associated with the GM crops and their use, analyzing the incident meticulously."

http://www.naturalnews.com/044756_GMO_cotton_India_Mahyco.html

Chile rejects seed patent legislation known as the 'Monsanto Law'

(NaturalNews) The Monsanto corporate lobby travels around the world, looking for new seed markets to control. Through flattery, biotech reps try to convince government officials to create new seed patent laws that could increase a country's agricultural exports and revenue. Biotechnology is marketed as a higher-yield technology for crop production. Some countries' officials are easily hoodwinked and find ways to allow biotech corporations to take over the seed markets through new patenting laws. This drives small and midsized farmers out of production, as GMO control takes over a country's food sovereignty and biodiversity in agriculture.

Large wave of Chilean activists block "Monsanto Law," as food sovereignty prevails
Four years ago, a bill was introduced to the Chilean government, a bill that catered to biotechnology demands. At least 15 environmental groups and a new wave of aware politicians rose up to take action against the new bill which would have allowed multinational agribusiness corporations to gain control of seeds through patent. Any seed Monsanto could find, generate or engineer in Chile could be controlled, and farmers would be required to ask permission and pay fees to grow those seeds.

But a large faction of people in Chile isn't putting up with the agriculture-takeover tactics. In respect for their small and midsized farmers who make an honest living providing food to the country, Chileans have made a statement to Monsanto, rejecting the bill that appears to be written by the Monsanto lobby itself. This "Monsanto Law" has been stricken down, as the people of Chile have spoken. They are not going to subject their country's heritage of seeds to the manipulation and control of biotechnology giants.

How are they doing it? The people are taking to the streets in protest. They are pressuring Parliament Senators. Many of them are behind a new political party called the New Majority. This party is more aware of biotechnology's influence on their government's laws and is more proactive in protecting the liberties of farmers.

This pressure has prompted Secretary General Ximena Rincon to pledge to the people that the Chilean government will "analyze all that is known in our country and internationally about this issue in order to protect the rights of agricultural communities, small and medium-sized farmers, and the heritage of seeds in our country."


Monsanto's seed patenting law tactics wipe out small farmers, forcing them to pay fees and submit to corporate control
Activist and environmentalist Lucia Sepulveda from the Alliance for a Better Quality of Life/Pesticide Action Network of Chile boldly stated, "We reject this law because it is a threat to family farms and to biodiversity." Sepulveda's organization unified thousands of Chilean people last August to march in the country's biggest cities, as part of a mass protest against the "Monsanto Law."

This "Monsanto Law" would have given biotech giants authority over the people's agricultural sovereignty, allowing the corporations to register patents for the heritage seeds in Chile. By controlling the country's seeds, corporations like Monsanto could then genetically modify them.

On top of that, the law would require farmers to pay companies like Monsanto annual fees for the right to use the very seeds they had used freely throughout history. If the farmers couldn't renew their seed "rights" each year and obtain permission from the corporations, then they would be forced out of production. GMO seed would then push in to Chilean agriculture and take over the country, ultimately wiping out the country's heritage seeds.This would increase the country's GMO export but also force many small and midsized farmers out of production, making the domestic food market suffer.

"Big agriculture, or agro-business[,] is just that, a business. It doesn't feed our country," said Alicia Munoz, co-director of the National Association of Rural and Indigenous Women. She has spent the past year convincing parliament senators to reject the "Monsanto Law." She reiterated that small farmers "don't have to depend on a Monsanto, Bayer or a Syngenta to get seeds."

This fight is about protecting food sovereignty. Moreover, it's about keeping food clean and unmodified. Chileans shouldn't need to ask a corporation for permission to grow food.

Commenting on the biotechnology takeover plot, Munoz said, "It would erase the history of our grandparents, our ancestors who taught us how to care for and grow our seeds."

Activist Sepulveda agrees, "If the vast majority of seeds in Chile are registered, the traditional species of seeds will fall into disuse."

The fight is not over. Activists are now pressuring the Chilean President to block biotechnology laws from entering the Parliament.

http://www.naturalnews.com/044773_seed_patents_Monsanto_Law_Chile.html

Russia Rejects GMOs, Will Grow Organic Food Instead


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Russia will not import GMO products, the country’s Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said, adding that the nation has enough space and resources to produce organic food.
Moscow has no reason to encourage the production of genetically modified products or import them into the country, Medvedev told a congress of deputies from rural settlements on Saturday.
“If the Americans like to eat GMO products, let them eat it then. We don’t need to do that; we have enough space and opportunities to produce organic food,” he said.
The prime minister said he ordered widespread monitoring of the agricultural sector. He added that despite rather strict restrictions, a certain amount of GMO products and seeds have made it to the Russian market.
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev speaks at a meeting of United Russia deputies from Russian rural villages in Volgograd on April 5, 2014. (RIA Novosti / Ekaterina Shtukina)
Earlier, agriculture minister Nikolay Fyodorov also stated that Russia should remain free of genetically modified products.
At the end of February, the Russian parliament asked the government to impose a temporary ban on all genetically altered products in Russia.
The State Duma’s Agriculture Committee supported a ban on the registration and trade of genetically modified organisms. It was suggested that until specialists develop a working system of control over the effects of GMOs on humans and the natural environment, the government should impose a moratorium on the breeding and growth of genetically modified plants, animals, and microorganisms.
Earlier this month, MPs of the parliamentary majority United Russia party, together with the ‘For Sovereignty’ parliamentary group, suggested an amendment of the existing law On Safety and Quality of Alimentary Products, with a norm set for the maximum allowed content of transgenic and genetically modified components.
There is currently no limitation on the trade or production of GMO-containing food in Russia. However, when the percentage of GMO exceeds 0.9 percent, the producer must label such goods and warn consumers. Last autumn, the government passed a resolution allowing the listing of genetically modified plants in the Unified State Register. The resolution will come into force in July.

http://www.responsibletechnology.org/posts/russia-rejects-gmos-will-grow-organic-food-instead/

Effective Immediately: France Bans All GMO Cultivation

"I do not want"

Heather Callaghan
Activist Post

The French National Assembly has made a sweeping declaration with a new bill, effective immediately. No more genetically modified crops.

On Tuesday, the French lower house of parliament adopted a law immediately banning cultivation of any GMO corn, due to environmental safety concerns.

Recently, they also made a halt decree to prohibit planting the only GM crop allowed in the EU - Monsanto's MON810 corn, with built-in insect resistance.

Jean-Marie Le Guen, the minister in charge of relations with parliament, said:

Quote :

It is essential today to renew a widely shared desire to maintain the French ban. This bill strengthens the decree passed last March by preventing the immediate cultivation of GMO and extending their reach to all transgenic maize varieties.

Farmers and seed companies are challenging the rule, as they have blocked similar decrees before, viewing safety concerns insufficient. But Le Guen bound the rule so that member state decisions could not be litigated against.

The ban heads back to the Senate for final approval - if rejected, the French National Assembly gets to cast the final ruling. Future strains will be banned even if the EU states approve more.


Of course big biotech companies are not satisfied to let bans rest. If companies like Monsanto have any say, they'll be back. The EU actually wants to give them that final say.

Additionally, DuPont and Dow Chemical are poised to crash the EU again, if allowed. They already jointly developed Pioneer 1507 GM corn and most of the member states did not gather enough votes to block it.

It appears these companies have money, power and persistence on their side to keep pushing despite wide-spread consumer and safety concerns.

http://www.activistpost.com/2014/04/effective-immediately-france-bans-all.html