GM Suicides and allergy

Seth Haniel · 12-18-2008, 03:37 PM

But there are still many activists opposed to GM crops in India.
Some argue there is a direct link between the thousands of suicides among cotton farmers in Maharashtra and the introduction of BT cotton in the area.
A recent study by the International Food Policy Research Institute concluded there was no evidence of a direct link, but said the cost of BT cotton may have been a contributing factor in specific cases.
But environmental activist Vandana Shiva is still not convinced.
"The more recent escalation of suicides has been in the region of Vidarbhah and if you look at the data of expansion of BT cotton the highest expansion has taken place there," she says.
"In Vidharbah, one farmer is killing himself every six hours and the separation of suicides from BT cotton is the worst lie because if you do a suicide map of this country and you do a BT sales map of this country - you have a one-to-one co-relation in terms of the districts," she maintains.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7785212.stm

avyaktam · 12-18-2008, 04:32 PM

So far we didn't have much GM vegetables here in India, but now according to the article they are introducing the brinjals (eggplant). I knew it was coming, but it's coming too fast. Even as the extreme yin eggplant is not the most indispensable of foods.
Till now the gigantic amount of farmer suicides was always contributed to financial problems.

12-18-2008, 03:37 PM	#1
Seth Haniel Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Hartlepool England But Moving Shortly to Fauldhouse Scotland Posts: 172	GM Suicides and allergy But there are still many activists opposed to GM crops in India. Some argue there is a direct link between the thousands of suicides among cotton farmers in Maharashtra and the introduction of BT cotton in the area. A recent study by the International Food Policy Research Institute concluded there was no evidence of a direct link, but said the cost of BT cotton may have been a contributing factor in specific cases. But environmental activist Vandana Shiva is still not convinced. "The more recent escalation of suicides has been in the region of Vidarbhah and if you look at the data of expansion of BT cotton the highest expansion has taken place there," she says. "In Vidharbah, one farmer is killing himself every six hours and the separation of suicides from BT cotton is the worst lie because if you do a suicide map of this country and you do a BT sales map of this country - you have a one-to-one co-relation in terms of the districts," she maintains. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7785212.stm

12-18-2008, 04:32 PM	#2
avyaktam Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Auroville, India Posts: 268	Re: GM Suicides and allergy So far we didn't have much GM vegetables here in India, but now according to the article they are introducing the brinjals (eggplant). I knew it was coming, but it's coming too fast. Even as the extreme yin eggplant is not the most indispensable of foods. Till now the gigantic amount of farmer suicides was always contributed to financial problems.