Where is the proof of the safety of GMOs?
Do we have any proof of the safety of GM crops? If not, then please listen to those who are raising concerns
The Business Standard published an article, "Despite opposition, GMO may be the way forward", on 9 May 2024, three days after the joint Press conference of UBINIG, BELA, Anti-GMO forum, Nayakrishi and Nagorik Uddog. The press conference was organised particularly to express concerns about the promotion of two genetically modified food crops, Golden Rice and Bt Brinjal, in Bangladesh.
Bt Brinjal was approved for commercial field cultivation in 2013, while Golden Rice is awaiting approval from the National Committee on B (Read More)
Village-level protests against Golden Rice and Bt brinjal
Demanding no approval to Golden Rice and to stop the cultivation of Bt. Brinjal immediately
Nayakrishi Andolon and UBINIG, organized a human chain and a discussion meeting involving farmers at Hinganagar village (of Atia union, Delduar upazila) on 28 April 2024 to stop Golden Rice and Bt. Brinjal immediately because they are genetically modified seeds that are harmful to farmers, soil, and the environment. About 100 women and men farmers, students of school and college, and some local residents joined the human chain.
Rabiul Islam Chunnu and Fahima Khatun Liza talked about the harmful impacts of Bt. Brinjal. Public awareness (Read More)
Golden Rice and Bt brinjal controversy: The Philippine Court decision defends food sovereignty
Bangladesh has a wide diversity of rice and vegetables, but two genetically modified food crops (Bt brinjal and golden rice) are being promoted unnecessarily. This is unfortunate and shameful. Farmers and environmental groups have been protesting against such actions. These two GM crops have raised controversy in Bangladesh, India, the Philippines, and Indonesia and among global anti-GMO activists.
At present, the genetically modified Golden Rice is on the table of the National Committee on Biosafety in Bangladesh for approval. The Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) applied to the National Technical Committee on Crop Biotechn (Read More)
Bt Cotton approval. Another alarming threat?
The introduction of GMOs is alarming news for Bangladesh, a country belonging to the biogeographical region known as the origin of diversity, and also for its climatic and agroecological characteristics, which could be detrimental to agriculture in general
The Bangladesh National Technical Committee on Crop Biotechnology (BNTCCB) of the Ministry of Agriculture at a meeting on 16 June 2022, gave the green signal to two Bt cotton varieties for final approval from the National Committee on Biosafety of the Ministry of Environment (MoE). The MoE is authorised to approve field cultivation of genetically modified crops.
The field t (Read More)
Goleden Rice in Philippines: Hurried approval raises questions
The controversial genetically modified Golden rice, has surfaced again with the Philippines Rice Research Institute rushing through the commercial clearance despite popular opposition to GR not only in the Philippines but also in Bangladesh, Indonesia and India. In the Philippines, the Bureau of Plant Industry, Department of Agriculture, issued the Biosafety permit for commercial propagation of the genetically engineered golden rice on 21 July 2021.
The farmers, consumers, scientists and sectoral organisations from the Philippines and the regional forum, the Stop Golden Rice! Network, have questioned the decision of the Bureau of Pl (Read More)
Resistance against the corporatisation of global food systems
The protest against the UNFSS process, including the pre-summit, is part of a much more long-term confrontation with industrial agriculture that has ruined farmers and food sources for people
Large biotech corporations are introducing various GMOs and other technological fixes to food and nutrition, keeping the control of the global food system in few hands. But this goes against the millions of smallholder farmers.
Large biotech corporations are introducing various GMOs and other technological fixes to food and nutrition, keeping the control of the global food system in few hands. But this goes against the millions of smallh (Read More)
Deceptive IRRI strategy to get Golden Rice approved
ON MARCH 7, 2019 the director general of the International Rice Research Institute, Dr Matthew Morell visited Bangladesh Rice Research Institute. He discussed with the director general Dr Md Shahjahan Kabir on ways and means to strengthen collaboration on some frontier technologies and projects such as Golden Rice, C4 Rice, Zinc Enriched Rice, and Transforming Rice Breeding etc.
In the next few days, Dr Morell visited other institutions such as Krishibid Gobeshona Foundation at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council and ACI Agribusiness. He also met the prime minister Sheikh Hasina at the prime minister’s office. His vis (Read More)
When Bt brinjal is a failure, why Golden rice?
INTRODUCTION of genetically modified crop is a highly risky venture, particularly in a country like Bangladesh that is rich in biodiversity and bio-geographically known as the origin of diversity spot. Despite the known risks, Bangladesh has been targeted for experiment and field trials of GM transgenic crops such as Bt brinjal. This has been done despite the resistance from the farmers, scientists and environmental activists. Apart from the risk of biological pollution and health hazards, the debate over the scientific claims and agronomic value of Bt brinjal has not been settled. Promoter’s claim about the effectivity of this highl (Read More)
Monsanto Tribunal: Protecting Victims of Ecocide
The Monsanto Tribunal is an international civil society initiative to hold Monsanto accountable for human rights violations, for crimes against humanity, and for ecocide. Eminent judges heard testimonies from victims, and delivered a legal opinion following procedures of the International Court of Justice. A distinct and parallel event, the People's Assembly, was a gathering of social movements from all over the world that exchanged ideas and planned for the future we want. The Tribunal and People's Assembly took place between 14 and 16 October 2016 in The Hague, Netherlands. On Tuesday April 18th 2017, the judges publicly presented their (Read More)
Can GM potato save poor farmers?
After repeated failure of Bt Brinjal another food crop, very common vegetable Potato is genetically modified and waiting for approval for field cultivation. This is Blight Resistant Potato (RB Potato). This is a matter of concern as Bangladesh is being used for easy introduction of GM crops for its weak regulatory authority.
Failure of field cultivation of Bt brinjal, the so-called first GM crop in Bangladesh, did not stop Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) from abusing the authority and resources of a public institution.
Without clarifying the criticisms ag (Read More)
Farmers’ Resistance against GMOs: We are rich in diversity, we do not need GMOs
Rally Speech: 12 May, 2008, at Planet Diversity Congress, Bonn
Main Theme: “For biological diversity – regional, fair and GMO-free!
I bring greetings from the farmers of Bangladesh and representative of Nayakrishi farmer Rekha Begum and my colleague Shima Das Shimu who are also here today to join the farmers and activists from around the world to celebrate our strength of diversity and to resist against all kinds of destructive policies and practices that destroy biodiversity.
We are here today at a time when “food crisis” has become a globa (Read More)
GOLDEN RICE : Threat to pregnant women and foetus
WE DO not eat rice for Vitamin A since there are plenty of vegetables and Vitamin A-rich food sources that can meet our need. So, if someone looks for Vitamin A in rice, instead of green and yellow Vitamin A-rich vegetables, we will, of course, question the person’s common sense or competence in open source knowledge. But if someone tells us that they have designed rice in such a way that we can now get Vitamin A from the rice, such persons are called ‘scientists’. This is amazing, indeed!
Obviously, rice does not naturally contain Vitamin A; so it must be engineered to distort its natural character to become somet (Read More)
No GMO's & Corporate Control on Food and Nutrition: Women on International Women'd Day 2015
Women’s struggles against discrimination, inequality and violence is global and strong. However, women’s dis-empowerment is not an isolated consequence independent from colonial legacies and neo-liberal global arrangement of economic, political and cultural relations. From what is happening through corporate control over seeds, agriculture and food system, none better than women know well that women’s struggle is instantly and directly related to the question of biological survival and regeneration of the conditions of life. Women have historically been keeping seed , engaged in food production, ensuring nutrition (Read More)
Farmers' resistance against GMOs
This is a report on “GMOs - A THREAT TO FOOD SOVEREIGNTY” which is a part of regional case studies conducted in Asia, Africa and Latin America. UBINIG was part of it for Bangladesh Case Study. It Studied the process of introduction of GM Rice, Maize, Bt Cotton in Bangladesh and the responses from farmers during June 2006 – January 2007. The case studies were supported by EED Joint Advocacy project, Germany.
Introduction
Farmers’ varieties have been the foundation of agriculture for centuries. Conventional plant breeding has had considerable succes (Read More)
Biotechnology
Biotechnology includes a wide range of technologies such as tissue culture, protoplast fusion, cell mutagenesis, genetic engineering, etc. Together these comprise a powerful technical force to produce or modify biological products according to specific objectives. The development of in vitro technique and genetic engineering for crop improvement has progressed in the last 30 years.
The development of gene vector systems and various genetic transformation techniques have catalyzed progress in plant genetic engineering in the recent past. Transgenic plants refer to those plants in which functional foreign genes have been inserted in (Read More)
Autistic babies and connection with GM soybean
There are evidence of connection between the birth of autistic babies and the GM soybean. Autism is a life- long developmental disability that manifests itself during the first three years of life. A diagnosis of autism can be one of the most devastating diagnoses a parent can hear. At worst, children diagnosed with autism will never be able to function as a normal human being in society.
Cause of Autism
There are several factors researchers have looked at in attempting to uncover the cause of autism. These include genetics and infe (Read More)