Ban GM Seeds; Save Indian Agriculture Plea from Sustainable Livelihood Farmers’ Association – TamilNadu

The Sustainable Livelihood Farmers’ Association (SLFA) of TamilNadu has made a plea to the State and the Central government of India that genetically Modified BT Brinjal should not be allowed inside our country since it is a threat to our farmers’ self-reliance and sovereignty. The health of the consumers of BT Brinjal is also at stake.

The State executive committee of SLFA met on 2nd February 2010 in Madurai under the Convenership of Y.David and the following resolutions were passed:

The Central Government has not yet published any of the scientific research findings of the GM Crops. The State has every responsibility to be transparent and share the pros and cons of the GM Crops to the public and especially farmers of our country but the State acts in favour of Monsanto and Mahyco companies.

Countries like Thailand, Australia, Hungary, Venezuela, France, Russia and New Zealand have banned the GM crops in their lands. In India, the states like Chattisgarh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka and Orissa have registered their dissent over the GM Crops.

If we depend on GM seeds for our cultivation, the farmers have to lose their control over seeds and depend on Multinational companies for seeds. We have the experience of farmers in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, who committed suicides in thousands because of BT cotton.

The farmers who cultivate GM crops are advised to cultivate other crops with 50-60m distance but we have to keep in mind that majority of Indian farmers are small and marginal farmers who cannot afford to leave even a piece of their land uncultivated.

When BT Brinjal is cultivated, the pollen in them will get into other varieties of crops cultivated near through the bees and butterflies. The entire agriculture pattern will be affected and GM crops are bane to our farmers.
The International Assessment of Agricultural Science, Technology and Development- IAASTD of United Nations has made a caution note that issues of poverty, hunger, global warming and loss of biodiversity cannot be tackled with GM Crops.

GM Crops will not fulfil the entire need of our country; will not provide safe and healthy food; the soil fertility, which is already depleted because of Green revolution, will be destroyed; and the livelihood of the farmers and environment will not be protected.

With the above understanding of GM Crops, SLFA has resolved to demand a total ban on GM Crops by the State.

Following demands are made to the State by the small and marginal farmers, Agricultural workers and civil society members organised as SLFA in TamilNadu:

- Sale of BT Brinjal seeds in India should be totally banned since we do not have enough researches on the safety of the biodiversity and the hidden agenda in trying with brinjal, a commonly grown vegetable is to try with all other crops in near future, which is a major threat to our food security and sovereignty.

- India had around 12000 varieties of paddy earlier and after Green revolution, it has been reduced to 50 varieties. Similarly around 2000 varieties of brinjal available now may diminish largely which is a great loss to our biodiversity. Hence, BT brinjal has to be banned immediately.

- The State, the Agricultural research Institutes and the Agricultural Universities are responsible to disclose the research findings to the farmers and the public. They are bound to clarify the doubts raised. SLFA demands the concerned Institutes and the scientists should give detailed explanation to the farmers and the public regarding GM crops.

- When genetical modifications happened naturally, it was perceived as science but now in the hands of multinational companies, it has become the international politics. The self reliance and the sovereignty of the country is at stake in the hands of multinationals and SLFA demands that GM Crops research should not be carried forward in collaboration with multinational seed companies.

- As per Indian Constitution, the agriculture comes under the purview of the states and every state government has the right to decide on its cropping pattern. Against the Constitution of India, Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) is established and dictates the states of India. SLFA demands the abolition of this committee immediately to ensure the Constitutional rights of the states.

- The public hearing regarding the GM crops should be taken to the grassroot level where the farmers can participate. The Gram Sabha resolutions at Panchayat level should be taken into account to make a decision.

- The testing of GM Crops in the farmers’ fields in Indian land should be immediately stopped and the institutes and companies involved in such testing should be legally sued.

- Indo-American Knowledge Partnership Agreement signed by India with US will submit Indian Agriculture sovereignty to the hands of WAL-MART, MONSANTO, RELIANCE, the multinational companies. This agreement will extend from agriculture to fishing, livestock etc that will seriously affect Indian sovereignty. Therefore, SLFA demands India to withdraw immediately from such agreements.

- The Central Government of India should ban the intrusion of multinational companies in agriculture. In addition, the traditional, organic and sustainable farming practices should be encouraged. The State should ensure that the price for the yield is decided by the farmers and the State and not by the agents inbetween.


/sd/ Y.David
State Convener
Sustainable Livelihood Farmers' Association
No:1, 3rd St, Maruthupandiya nagar, Narimedu,
Madurai -02 Tamilnadu