Greenpeace concern over dead cattle, demands GM food ban.

[Jagannath Chatterjee]

Greenpeace cattle seek Indian agriculture minister's attention
Rahul Kumar
OneWorld South Asia , 13 June 2006
http://southasia.oneworld.net/article/view/134775/1/1893

New Delhi: Dressed as cattle Greenpeace protestors tried to seek an
audience on Tuesday with Indian agriculture minister Sharad Pawar over the
mysterious deaths of livestock in the south Indian state of Andhra
Pradesh, allegedly due to consumption of genetically modified crops.

Though the minister's office refused Greenpeace an appointment on
Tuesday, it did respond by saying that the minister will meet
representatives from the organization on Wednesday to discuss the issue.

The activist organization was protesting against the death of nearly
1,600 cattle in the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh in April this
year. An investigation by a non governmental organization (NGO), Centre
for Sustainable Agriculture (CSA), says that the death of sheep was
linked to prolonged consumption of Bt cotton stalks and leaves that were
left in the fields after the cotton harvest.

Greenpeace is demanding that the agriculture ministry should order an
investigation into the death of the sheep and withdraw all permissions
for the commercial release of existing GE crops till the investigation
is complete.

The protestors met animal husbandry secretary PMA Hakim, a senior
official in the Indian government, who told Greenpeace that he has asked for
investigations in the death of the cattle.

Greenpeace campaigner Rajesh Krishnan reacted: "Hakim has asked the
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) for an inquiry but the
Indian government's response has all through been informal. Instead of
conducting an inquiry itself, the central government has asked the Andhra
Pradesh to inquire into the deaths even though the state government does
not have the expertise to study such a bio-safety disaster."

The protestors were holding a banner on behalf of the dead animals that
read: "Did GM crops kills us? Don't legalise GM foods." The protestors
also carried signboards with dead sheep and cattle with the message –
‘Do not eat GM foods.’

The Greenpeace memorandum read: "GE cotton was approved after the
company and the government claimed that all safety tests had been done. Two
months ago a report by the CSA documented a grave incident where around
1,600 sheep had died after grazing on GE cotton fields in Warangal
district of Andhra Pradesh. The NGO makes a strong case for GE cotton being
the cause of death."

The memorandum said: "While cause for the deaths of sheep remain
unresolved we believe that GM crops must be viewed with caution and the
health of the nation must be put before corporate profit… We have come to
know from the 67th meeting of the Genetic Engineering Approval committee
(GEAC) that brinjal with the same Bt gene whose safety is presently
under question is now being considered for large scale field trials."

Krishnan said: "The impacts of GM technology on human health and
biodiversity remain unpredictable, untested and irreversible even then the
government is on the verge of approving large scale field trials of
genetically modified brinjal. This will be the first GM food crop in India."

Krishnan added: "Clinical trials in the US have proven that GE corn
killed cattle and people developed allergies. The company responsible for
this had to pay $100 million compensation to the affected farmers.
Unfortunately there is no consumer choice in the US. Once the crops reach
the market there is no way a consumer can distinguish between GM and
non-GM foods."

He added that clinical trials on rats in Australia have shown
immunological and respiratory problems, apart from allergies in the animals.

Greenpeace has demanded that there should be an investigation on the
mortality of sheep and the terms of reference should be made public. "The
health impacts of GE crops should be assessed by doing an exhaustive
long term health impact study. All field trial permissions for new GMOs
be stopped including Bt brinjal and all permissions for commercial
releases of existing GE crops should be withdrawn," said the memorandum.

"Our ideal is not the spirituality that withdraws from life but the conquest of life by the power of the spirit." -  Aurobindo.

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