BioTech Accelerators in India - Express Clearing House for Fast Track Approvals

[Nagarjuna]

New Biotech Bill a Threat to the Nation - Farmers' & Civil Society
Organisations demand an immediate scrapping of the NBRA Bill
New Delhi, 25th July 2008: Farmers' and civil society organisations
from 18 states of India, who came together for a national consultation
to deliberate on the National Biotechnology Regulatory Authority
(NBRA) proposals of the Government of India, pointed out that the Bill
is a threat to the national security and demanded that the NBRA Bill
should be immediately scrapped because it is unscientific and
undemocratic. They alleged that Indians will be turned into guinea
pigs and that corporate control over India would be complete, if the
current proposals are implemented.

The Department of Biotechnology [DBT], GoI, had mooted the National
Biotechnology Regulatory Bill 2008 for setting up the NBRA as a single
window clearance system for genetically modified organisms and
products and the deadline for public feedback has been fixed as July
30th 2008. Coalition for a GM-Free India, lambasting the government
for its faulty consultative processes, convened a national
consultation to discuss the proposals with civil society groups from
across the country.

Dr Devinder Sharma, noted food and trade policy analyst, said, "The
proposed mechanism is an express clearing house for fast track
approvals in favour of the biotech industry, at the expense of health
and environment concerns. The NBRA proposals have been drawn up by the
wrong people, for the wrong reasons with wrong perspectives. The
mandate of this proposed authority, which has its genesis in the
Swaminathan Task Force report on agri-biotechnology, does not uphold
the bottom line specified in the Task Force report".

Dr. M.S. Swaminathan's Task Force on Agri-Biotechnology, 2004
specifies that the bottom line for any biotech regulatory regime in
the country should be to safeguard the environment, the well-being of
farming families, the ecological and economic sustainability of
farming systems, the health and nutrition security of consumers,
safeguarding of home and external trade and the bio-security of India.
Nothing in the current NBRA proposals can meet these objectives.

The draft Bill proposes the supremacy of this Act over other
legislations and will trample over Biological Diversity Act, for
instance. The amendment proposed to the definition of GM foods will
scuttle the labelling regime being proposed under the FSSA and denies
informed choices for consumers.

Mr. Yudhvir Singh, Bhartiya Kisan Union, pointed out that "the
proposed Authority denies and violates the constitutional rights of
the states on their agriculture and citizens' right to remain GM-free.
This creates a hurdle to the progressive decisions made by states on
implementing organic farming policies to protect farmers' interests
and imposes GM crops everywhere".

Dr. G. Nammalvar, Organic farmer from Tamil Nadu alleged that the new
bill takes away the choices of farmers to remain organic and GM free.

"The new bill has no provisions for review and revoking of approvals
and remains shockingly silent on issues like liability, redressal and
remediation for farmers and others affected by the hazards of GM crops/
foods", added Ms Kavitha Kuruganti of the Coalition for a GM-Free
India.

The consultation also set up a task force of experts, civil society
organizations, farmers and consumer organizations to draft a model
legislative framework for protecting environment and public health
from Genetic Engineering. This alternative framework will uphold the
citizens' right to safe and nutritious food and sustainable
environment and development in a democratic manner.

Press Release by the Coalition for a GM-Free India