I am no Lab Rat, Are you?

[Update] GM-Free Karnataka blog has been launched. Please visit the blog to find one-stop information about all the happenings.

A few months ago, a nation-wide campaign opposing Genetically Modified (GM) crops, under the banner of  ‘I am no lab rat‘, was launched. GM food is created by taking genes from organisms like bacteria,  spiders, etc and forcibly inserting them into the genome of brinjals, potatoes, corn etc., so the vegetables develop certain new traits. When GM food was tested on rats, the results were alarmingly negative. Evidence linked GM with stunted growth, impaired immune systems and even inter-generational effects. Recent Australian government study reports [1 & 2] have also confirmed that GM foods affect fertility. Moreover, it’s extremely difficult to honor the right of a farmer to stay away from GM. Segregation of a GM farm from (say) an organic one requires a good deal of spacing between them(due to cross-pollination), which is pretty hard to ensure in India. This directly translates to the breach of the consumer’s right to choose the type of food they want (GM or non-GM).

The campaign’s most pressing objective is to prevent the entry of Bt Brinjal in India, for which your help is indispensable. To begin with, please sign an online petition here or fax* it. I too was skeptical of the efficacy of such ways of campaigning, but I have changed my mind since I came to know that following 70000 petitions sent by concerned citizens like us, Union Health Minister Ramadoss came out expressing strong concerns about GM food. Those interested in participating in this campaign can leave a comment here or call Sathish (9448488831).

In case you still have reservations about the threat posed by GM for you as a food consumer, these might help:

• GM food has already been banned/restricted in the Europian Union, Japan, South Korea and many countries in Africa. Here is an Anti-GM petition being sent to President Obama in the US.
• A few years back BT Cotton (from corporate giant Monsanto) was introduced to India. Hundreds of laborers picking cotton and working in cotton ginning factories developed allergic reactions while handling the BT cotton. This never occurred with any non-Bt variety.There are many laborers who don’t go to work unless they’ve first taken an antihistamine. We have repeatedly heard of the death of sheep and goats when left to graze in the Bt Cotton fields of India. It is estimated that ~2500 sheep died in AP within a short span. Medical investigators found black patches in their intestines, livers, etc. The govt of Andhra Pradesh is now advising farmers not to allow their animals to graze on Bt cotton fields. More about Bt Cotton: BT sins… Itchy scars!, Impact of Bt Cotton on Farmers’ Health[More]
  
• The Bt Gene that was introduced in Bt Cotton was drawn from a soil bacterium. The same gene, despite all the above-mentioned, proven hazards, is being pushed in Brinjal, which is how the name Bt Brinjal was coined. So far, the damaging gene was constrained to cotton only, keeping most of us relatively safe, but now with Bt Brinjal, they are aiming directly at your body!
  
• Another independent analysis of the `Effects on Health and Environment of Transgenic (genetically modified) Bt Brinjal’ conducted by Prof. Gilles-Eric Seralini of France concluded that Bt Brinjal’s release could pose a risk to health and the environment.
• The science behind GM may be intellectually intriguing, but it surely is NOT fool-proof (which is what makes as lab rats – samples to  experiment upon).
• GM crops are also not a solution to world hunger. Even today we produce much more food than needed to feed the entire world, but several political and economic factors ensure that the food doesn’t reach everybody [more].
• These and other points about GM food are splendidly brought out in Devinder Sharma’s latest article on the matter.

*Kindly send the attached fax to the Prime Minister at at least 3 of the following fax numbers: 011-23019334. please send the same fax’s copy to Mrs Sonia Gandhi (tick against her CC when you fax the next printout) at 011-23018651 / 23014481. You can download the copy of the petition from here.

PS: An excellent video on GMOs : Controlling our food