Editorial in the Indian Express, Delhi:
“A certain visceral concern over GM food is understandable: after all, we will be expected to eat something that scientists have tinkered with. But that concern must, in the end, have to give way before solid facts.
“Bt brinjal has been thoroughly and comprehensively tested; perhaps even more compellingly, the theoretical science that backs up arguments for its safety remain unchallenged….
“In the United States, corn modified by the introduction of pest-resistant genetic strains from the bacteria Bacillus thuringensis — Bt — dominates the market, and has for years. Similarly modified soybeans and vegetable oils have also proved safe and cheap.
“In India, farmers have taken to Bt cotton in a big way — and paranoid fears that giant foreign combines would seek to make rapacious profits by exploiting small Indian farmers have not materialised. After all, nobody is likely to force Indian farmers to adopt the new variety: it merely adds to their options, and to the options facing the Indian consumer.
“Some will always remain unconvinced, or call ad infinitum for more and better and longer tests. They should not be able to veto the introduction of GM food forever…. A cautionary desire to placate the panicked and paranoid must not be allowed to outweigh the evidence.”
Read the full editorial: BT entreaty
One fact that the article overlooks is the fact that the Bt Vegetables do not produce seeds. That means the farmer ends up paying again for the seeds which normally he could have saved if it was not a Bt crop. In the end while he saves some amount on pesticides etc, he ends up paying more for the seeds.
Introduction of GM foods is not just Black and White there are lot of gray areas.
Why don’t we refer to the WHO answers to “20 Questions on GM Foods”
http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/biotech/20questions/en/
They clearly mention about the environmental concerns that were not addressed.
Refer to another website on this
***
Another Website:
http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/gmfood/overview.php
An excerpt from that website:
“The company (Monsanto) has filed patent infringement lawsuits against farmers who may have harvested GM crops. Monsanto claims that the farmers obtained Monsanto-licensed GM seeds from an unknown source and did not pay royalties to Monsanto. The farmers claim that their unmodified crops were cross-pollinated from someone else’s GM crops planted a field or two away. More investigation is needed to resolve this issue”.
imagine such a situation in India and it’s consiquences.
If the decision to introduce BT Brinjal had been taken by BJP led govt, Congress and Churumuri like blogs would have accused BJP of joining hands with the evil capitalist MNCs to crush poor people.
Here is a churumuri rant on BT cotton in 2007
http://churumuri.wordpress.com/2007/09/10/the-indian-story-that-the-american-media-missed/
which is quite different from the tone of articles relating to BT Brinjal
What’s the difference? So you think BT cotton will lead our farmers to suicide but BT brinjal is safe and good for the country?
WHY?
Would BT Brinjal lead to a monopoly of a particular company? There by would it lead to All or nothing scenario?
Would it kill all the native breeds of Brinjal? ie once Bt Brinjal comes in all the rest pack up and go into oblivion?
If that’s the case then it is certainly not welcome. If not ie Bt Brinjal would just expand the choice for both farmers and consumers (by co-existing with what we have today), then I fail to understand the fuss.
Am I missing something here? Isn’t there a compromise that already exists or can be worked out instead of these extreme positions on display?
Patel: The controversy is both about Monsanto and also the ill effects of Bio-Tech tweaked food.
My thought on this is – BT food will be the only way we can survive in the years to come.
The only thing to do is to make sure we have regulations to control companies like Monsanto…
Is there something more than meets the eye? While the jury is still out on this issue and if this is just something that adds to the farmers’ options, then why devote editorials and numerous articles for this?
Taking any editorial of Indian Express seriously would put you in the category of mentally retarded…but alas we do have takers for such editorials ;(
In the meanwhile, former MD of Monsanto T V Jagadeeshan has come out against introducing BT Brinjal in India….
This info is for all those people who are marketing BT Brinjal on behalf of Monsanto
@AC… Wondeful! …. Churumuri supports BT ONLY because BJP states (esp. Karnataka) has opposed it!! … Shame!
BT Brinjal will taste like Jolada Kaddy not like Badanekai like all other hi-breed products.
Raj,
There you go, politicizing food.
Nature likes evolution. It does not take kindly to anything stagnant – stagnant water, stagnant human bodies which don’t exercise, stagnant minds – which are not open to new thoughts.
ಎಂಚಿನಾಂಡಲಾ, ಎಂಕುಲೆನ ಮಟ್ಟ್ ದ ಗುಳ್ಳದ ರುಚಿ ಬರಂದ್ ಯೇ!
http://suhanasafarwithme.blogspot.com/2010/02/bt-brinjal-vs.html
I do not know enough about agricultural practices or of farm economics to take a view on this subject. But my problem is that the people who oppose Bt. Brinjal are also the ones who protested at Singur, Nandigram.. oppose actions against Naxalites.. who suddenly hug trees when the Bangalore Metro requires their cutting, want stray dogs to have a free run in Bangalore.. and now cry aloud that the road that is set to run through the campus of the UAS will disturb the peace of the researchers… I could go on.
And that is the sad part. Malcontents of all hues seem to have taken over and without the slightest regard to forms of civilised discourse virtually run a guerilla war against any proposal for change. The pity is that the media seems inclined to give them more than a fair share of publicity.
Title says: ‘BT Brinjal: if it’s cheaper and safer, why not?’
But who is complaining that its costlier than other vegetables!!!
One company…Monsanto. The most evil corporation in the world. Doesn’t think twice before suing poor farmers for saving their seeds for the next harvest. Doesnt think twice before thretening diary farms who do not use posilac, their bovine hormone growth infection, which harms the cows and the resultant milk. Monsanto the same company responsible for americ’s ddt menace, and vietnam’s agent orange. and you’re rooting for them to introduce their patented tech on OUR historic vegetable…shame on you.
The author of this editorial is considered to be a reliable expert on the topic of BT brinjal because…
1. he has worked extensively on the BT brinjal development in science labs, has personally conducted and presided over the tests which were conducted to check the safety and quality of the product and has authored several scientific reports with technical data, relevant explanations and acceptable answers to the criticisms of his scientific observations.
2. Has sown and grown the BT brinjal as a crop for years to know from personal experience that it is indeed a safe and a better crop than actual non genetically modified brinjal.
3. Has no idea what he is writing about. Has spoken to random ppl, read random reports in random unconnected magazines and articles and has then published a rosy “all is good” article in the media.
Wonder which of the above is true….hmmm….
@ simple
I do not think raj is politicising food, he is politicising churumuri’s article which seems to change its tune/stand all the time, just enough to suit a viewpoint that is anti BJP, anti RSS bull! This is proven by the link that AC provides in his comment and how suddenly churumuri has an article which takes the complete opposite stand. This is not the only article.
Also, for someone who talks about stagnant minds, a lot of ppl commenting here sure seem to have a mind stagnating in a state which is againstthe BJP. I wonder why!