India has banned companies such as Monsanto from conducting GMO seed trials on their land, saying that the risks to public health and the environment are too high.
Bihar’s Agriculture Minister, Narendra Kumar Singh, confirmed that India’s food supply will be protected from GMO companies growing genetically modified corn on Indian land and assured the public that seeds will be protected from contamination from genetic material drift.
Naturalnews.com reports:
BYPASS THE CENSORS
Sign up to get unfiltered news delivered straight to your inbox.
You can unsubscribe any time. By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use
His speech was given at the 2014 Seed Festival at the A N Sinha Institute of Social Studies. The Seed Festival featured over 500 different varieties of crop seed. The inaugural event featured agriculture experts from Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Kerala who represent a growing movement against genetically modified crops in India.
Singh spoke out about protecting non-GM seed crops: “Seed is the basic unit of input and is the lifeline of agriculture. Attempts are being made by multinational companies to replace our traditional seeds with GM seeds, which would be dangerous for environment and health.”
Singh was joined by those with direct field experience, including farmers’ commission chairman C P Sinha, Harit Swaraj convener Vijay Pratap, Jacob Nilethan, an expert from the Asha Alliance, and seed savers.
Singh announced that Bihar was the first state in the world to halt field tests of genetically modified seed for the larger humanitarian interests of farmers and society at large.
Farmers seeking seed sovereignty, diversity
For the farmers, it’s all about seed sovereignty. Saroj, a leader of Paschim Odisha Krushak Sangathan, stated, “Seed sovereignty is not a baseless ideological position, but a pragmatic approach. It is an integral part of food security and sovereignty of a community or a nation. Seed being handed over to multinational corporations, many of them notorious for their monopolistic tendencies and operations, is disastrous for the livelihood of millions.”
Saroj believes in sustainable, holistic agriculture and the right of all farmers to be sovereign and independent, uncontrolled by monolithic seed imperialists. He assembled with about 400 other farmers who traveled from Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Jharkhand and Karnataka to formulate a plan for protecting their liberty going forward, while preserving traditional seed varieties in the country. Saroj believes that the Indian state government should help protect indigenous seeds from being overrun by faraway corporations who contaminate and control agricultural production.
“Government should encourage, and invest in farmer-level seed production of locally suitable, diverse seeds. Community seed banks should be set up with schematic government investment,” he said. The group believes that “seed breeding should be in organic conditions” because they do not want seeds to “become a package that brings in other unwanted inputs like chemicals.”
Are you sure about this ? In the following link, the info is that India wants to develop its own GMO companies…. Argh… https://www.rt.com/news/335879-monsanto-greed-india-gm-cotton/
Are you sure about this ? In the following link, the info is that India wants to develop its own GMO companies…. Argh… https://www.rt.com/news/335879-monsanto-greed-india-gm-cotton/
IF THIS IS TRUE, FINALLY OUR WISH FULFILLED !!! WAS WORRIED when the Environment Minister had commented once in favour of ” GMO Crops to feed Millions” !!!
IF THIS IS TRUE, FINALLY OUR WISH FULFILLED !!! WAS WORRIED when the Environment Minister had commented once in favour of ” GMO Crops to feed Millions” !!!
These data should be crosschecked. Our Govt. is still in bed with Monsanto and continues fullsteam ahead in GM trials. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-gmo-insight-idUSKBN0LQ00Z20150223 http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/govt-asks-niti-aayog-to-draft-policy-on-genetically-modified-crops/story-4bPN3KNkz2dfdB3pqtHStI.html and many more.
These data should be crosschecked. Our Govt. is still in bed with Monsanto and continues fullsteam ahead in GM trials. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-gmo-insight-idUSKBN0LQ00Z20150223 http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/govt-asks-niti-aayog-to-draft-policy-on-genetically-modified-crops/story-4bPN3KNkz2dfdB3pqtHStI.html and many more.
Some good news. True, we do not have only good news since Modi took office. But, we do not have all bad news as we did till the PANGOLIN Parivar that loots together to stay together relinquished office!
Some good news. True, we do not have only good news since Modi took office. But, we do not have all bad news as we did till the PANGOLIN Parivar that loots together to stay together relinquished office!