Jakarta (20/4/15). 18 militant peasant leaders of Aliansi Gerakan Reforma Agraria (AGRA- Alliance of Agrarian Reform Movement, a militant peasant organisation are arrested in the front US Embassy in Jakarta. They are being arrested for their action against US intervention in 60th Asia-Africa Conference that already held since yesterday in Jakarta
This photo is taken from inside police bus, on their way to Jakarta Police Headquarters
An abridged version of this piece was printed in the Finance and Business pages of Daily DAWN on March 13, 2015.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1175542/farmers-or-corporate-sovereignty
The Pakistan Senate, in the context of passing the Amended Pakistan Seed Act 2014, has much to think about. It is indeed fortunate that so many new developments with respect to genetic engineering technology are coming to light at this point which will provide the Senate easy access to the many pros and cons in evaluating acceptance or rejection of the draft Amended Seed Act 2014, which was accepted by the Pakistan National Assembly, just four days prior to the new findings provided by International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and organ of the World Health Organization (WHO).
IARC has stated that glyphosate is “probably carcinogenic to humans.” The news brief in which this statement was made by the IARC to assess the carcinogenicity of the organophosphate pesticides is of critical importance was published in the globally acclaimed medical journal The Lancet on March 20, 2015. The brief is a summary of the report that is to be published shortly as Volume 112 of the IARC Monographs.
According to IARC “Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum herbicide, currently with the highest production volumes of all herbicides. It is used in more than 750 different products for agriculture, forestry, urban, and home applications. Its use has increased sharply with the development of genetically modified glyphosate-resistant crop varieties. Glyphosate has been detected in air during spraying, in water, and in food.
Glyphosate is used in the Monsanto’s branded herbicide Roundup Ready which can be sprayed on crops that have been genetically engineered to tolerate glyphosate. In essence, Glyphosate is dangerous for human and animal health. But Monsanto is once again refusing to accept the WHO report. This has been the refrain that Monsanto has used for all scientific studies which point to the dangers of GM technologies.
For the Pakistan Senate, this news is of critical importance in deciding the fate of the Amended Seed Act 2014. For more than two decades, across the globe people’s organizations, farmers’ organizations and many credible scientists societies have been asking governments to follow the precautionary principle meaning only use a new technology when it has been proven to be safe. But gigantic corporations such as Monsanto have consistently blocked moves by governments to follow a more sustainable agriculture policy, especially policies which guard economic interests of small farmers as opposed to corporate interests.
However, to some extent genetically engineered crops and seeds and other GE products have steadily been facing mounting pressure from many sides. In this respect, one cannot forget the recent legislation passed in January 2015 in the European Union which has given its individual member countries to allow GM crop production in the country as per their own decision. This is basically due to the persistent position taken by European people in many countries especially Germany and France, that they consider GE foods and crops very harmful to human health and the environment, and did not want to be put to risk by consuming such products.
If such highly technologically advanced countries such as in the EU are opposing GE crops, is it not important for the Pakistan Senate to think about promoting such technology which could harm their own people? In Pakistan, the National Biosafety Committee is no more functional and hence there is no legal mechanism for approving new GE seeds in the country. The issue under the 18th Amendment is now a provincial subject, but the provinces have not taken any steps to take on this responsibility. In a recent news item by DAWN it was stated that according to Mr. Asif Shuja, former director general of the Environment Protection Agency, the country does not have the expertise to conduct safe trials of GM crops.
Further, the current EPA Director General, Mr. Khurshid has termed GM crops as ‘weapons of mass destruction’. Similar statements have been made by the Foreign Office, Pakistan who believes that GM seeds are a matter of national security and trade. No doubt, this is in context to the TRIPS agreement in the World Trade Organization (WTO); an agreement which was forced on third world countries to guard the profit-driven interests of advanced industrial countries. Paramount among them was the USA who was guarding the IPR interests of its agro-chemical, seed and biotechnology firms.
In Pakistan, many non-government organizations, and mass-based farmer organizations and associations have taken a principled stand against accepting genetically engineered seeds in the country. Recently, many farmer organizations and NGOs have sent a letter to the Chairman Senate asking them to reject the proposed Seed Act 2014 and in its place enact a Bill which would protect the seed sovereignty interests of the small farmers of th country, who are no doubt the most productive force of the country. The stand is not only based on issues of environmental and health concerns that are the basis of a majority of the EU population, and the Pakistani government officials, but also lodged in the collective right of farmers on seed. This position rests on the historical collection and development of the genetic resources of millions of plant varieties abundantly present in the diverse ecosystems of the Earth by millions of small farmers across the continents through many millennia. Today, the likes of Monsanto are only able to develop their so called new seeds based on the germ-plasm collected by farmers, especially farmers of third world countries such as Pakistan. The Harapa Museum in Sahiwal is testament to the rich centuries old agrarian history of our country and the region. It is truly amazing that a seed from many thousands of years can be seen in the Museum. Given the cultural heritage of our country and our people, our farmers, why is our government allowing profit-driven seed corporations to implement new seed laws?
New technologies are only welcome if they come in the interest of the people; in the interest of our farmers; in the interest of increasing national self-reliance; in the interest of national and people’s sovereignty and indeed sustainable development. It is to be hoped that the Pakistan Senate will keep these aspirations as their guiding principal when they sit down to discuss the potential benefit or harm of the draft Amended Seed Act 2014, whos function as a legal tool is to bring prosperity to the most productive sector of the country: the small and landless farmers of Pakistan.
The writer is an activist working with small and landless farmers in the country. She holds a doctorate in Social Pharmacy from the University of Minnesota, USA.
Azra Talat Sayeed @ azra.sayeed@gmail.com
The shocking statement from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an organ of the World Health Organization (WHO) that glysophate probably causes cancer in humans further verifies the concerns of the farmers organizations such as the Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek.
According to IARC “Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum herbicide, currently with the highest production volumes of all herbicides. It is used in more than 750 different products for agriculture, forestry, urban, and home applications. Its use has increased sharply with the development of genetically modified glyphosate-resistant crop varieties. Glyphosate has been detected in air during spraying, in water, and in food.”
This herbicide is used in the Monsanto’s Roundup Ready which can be sprayed on genetically-engineered plants resistant to Glyphosate. This of course provides further food for thought to the Pakistan Senate as it in the process for approving the Pakistan Amended Seed Act 2014 passed by the National Assembly on March 16 last month.
There have been recent concerns raised by the Director General, Environmental Protection Agency on the safety of GM seeds and crops in the country; similar concerns have also been voiced by the Foreign Office to the Climate Change Division stating that “GM seeds can be used as biological weapon of mass destruction to destroy Pakistan’s major crops such as potatoe, wheat, rice, corn, cotton and vegetables through modified viruses, bacteria, and other parasite.”
Roots for Equity along with many other peoples’ organizations and farmers’ organizations has sent a letter to the Pakistan Senate early this month, highlighting the many political, environmental an economic issues pertaining to acceptance of genetic ally engineered seeds and crops.
The breaking news by WHO on further harm caused by the use of GE seeds and related technologies should be taken into grave consideration and help in rejecting the Amended Seed Act 2014, to be replaced by legislation which guards farmers seed sovereignty and national food sovereignty.
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045(15)70134-8/fulltext
http://www.dawn.com/news/1175542/farmers-or-corporate-sovereignty
http://www.dawn.com/news/1173928/50-ngos-urge-senate-to-block-bill-on-seeds
http://www.dawn.com/news/1174415/minister-concerned-over-gm-crops-in-pakistan
http://www.dawn.com/news/1174330
http://www.dawn.com/news/1172653
http://www.dawn.com/news/1170209/farmers-most-affected-by-new-law-on-seeds
Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek joined thousands of farmers in the Asia Pacific Region to mark March 29 as the Day of the Landless. In Pakistan, the issue is of critical importance as more and more cases of land grab are being reported by farmers across the country.
Only recently, the government officials and the police has unlawfully tried to evict farmers from nearly 2000 acres of land in Rakh Azmat Wala, an area close to Jampur, Rajanpur.
In addition, thousands of farmers in Pakistan are forced to live by river banks spread from Punjab to Sindh. Each year, they face many hardships due to rains and floods which are increasing in intensity based on climate change.
The protest was marked by slogans such as “Jagirdari Murdabad” (Down with Feudalism) and “Sarmayadari Murdabad (Down with Capitalism)”. Farmers from Rajanpur were shouting “Goli Manzoor, Jail Manzoor, Zameen per Qabza Namanzoor (We Accept Bullets, We Accept Jail, But Will Not Accept Land Grab).
Roots for Equity is working with small and landless farmers settled on river banks in Multan. In early March, heavy rains caused flooding of the rivers in Multan which led to flooding of many fields, especially those which were just next to the river bank. Many farmers lost their wheat crop completely, or partially. According to the local communities such an unexpected disaster has come after more than 5 decades.
All farmers in this village were landless. In fact they were sitting in this precarious area, just next to the river because they have not been able to find land anywhere else. Even here they had leased land just so that they could grow wheat that is a most sought after crop by all farmers across the country. What they grow they save for their household food security.Therefore, their loss is very heavy not due to the economic cost of the crop but its critical importance as a food crop.
PKMT farmers paid a solidarity visit to the riverine area farmers after hearing of the their loss. According to the PKMT farmers, the loss suffered by farmers due to unexpected rain-floods was based on the changing weather patterns due to climate change. The loss should be demanded from the government of Pakistan.
PKMT farmers visited the wheat fields many of which had suffered from the floods. The riverine area farmers explained that they had sown only indigenous seeds as part of the work initiated by Roots for Equity. In addition, farming methods were based on sustainable agriculture, using only animal dung as fertilizer and irrigation water was from the river.
According to the PKMT farmers, many of the wheat fields that were able to escape from the climate change disaster were in very good condition. The wheat grain is very big and healthy. They hope that the production will not only be very good but also yield very good quality seed for next season sowing.
A lunch was served for the visiting farmers. Farmers from the community had also arranged a musical program in honor of PKMT. The day ended in folk dance and local music and songs.
Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek’s Tour of Roots for Equity’s Trial Farm, Multan
Roots for Equity has initiated a trial farm basically for multiplication of indigenous seeds, especially for grains such wheat and rice. The context is of course sustainable agriculture. Land preparation is based on the use of natural fertilizers such as green composting and animal manure. In 2014 wheat sowing season, many varieties of seeds were sown, of which some were indigenous and others that were collected from farmers in Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkwa.
Now that wheat harvest is almost ready, an exposure visit of farmers from a farmers alliance group, namely Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek was arranged. A total of 39 farmers from various districts of Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkwa and Punjab visited the trial farm. The visit was followed with an extensive discussion on the trial farm, the methods being applied at the farm for soil enrichment, sowing methods, pest management and the quality of the seeds of the almost ready to be harvested wheat.
Farmers from Badin and Rajanpur analyzing a vegetable plot
The visit to the farm and the discussion was a clear example of the rich knowledge and invaluable experience of farmers. The feedback on methods of biological control was in itself amazing. For example, Mohammad Aslam from Sahiwal told us that in order to control a particular pest, two people can stand on either side of the field holding a thread. As the thread is moved across the field, the pest (tilla) will fall on the ground, and then it will not be able to attack the seed again. Another simple mehtod was just watering the plants with water lightly; that will also get rid of the particular pest.
Checking the quality of mustard seeds!
Another farmer, Pawan Kumar from Matli, Badin shared how to make a biological pesticide from jackery (gur) and neem leaves. A farmer from Lower Dir, Bakht Zareen gave pointers for judging efficacy of animal manure, meaning what was the best time for using it as fertilizer. According to him, one should check the manure for smell – if it smells bad don’t use it. Only once the manure has matured to the extent that it does not smell and it has a fine granulated appearance it is best for use.
A Tehreek member from Lower Dir explaining differences among wheat varieties
There is no doubt that the knowledge held by farmers cannot be learned through any university teaching. Their knowledge is not only based on a life time of learning but also through the collective learning and practices of many generations.
Checking the health of vegetable seeds!
The farmers of Rakh Azmat Wala from Rajanpur District have been consistently agitating against the Punjab Government’s notification which is forcing farmers to evict the land they and their ancestors have tilled for nearly a 100 hundred years.
Farmers have till now refused all negotiation saying that if police comes to try and evict them they will take militant action. Currently there is a stay order which does not give the police the right to evict the Rakh Azmat Wala community which comprises more than 15,000 and nearly2750 acres of very fertile agricultural land. However, police forces have been threatening them with eviction on a daily basis. On March 24, farmers took out a huge protest rally blocking a major highway and then again on March 25 took out another protest rally in Jampur City. Their protests are marked by the presence of police force ready to take action.
The slogans raised by farmers included “Golee Manzoor, Jali Manzoor” meaning farmers are willing to face jail and even armed attacked by the police forces but not willing to give up their land.
Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek held a protest against the Amended Seed Act 2014 which was passed by the National Assembly on March 16, 2015. The protest was staged at the national capital, Islamabad in front of the National Press Club on March 24, 2015. Their demand was to the Pakistan Senate to stop all further progress on the draft Seed Act, and in its place start processes for a farmer-friendly Seed Law which upholds the collective right of farmers on seed and genetic resources.
http://www.express.com.pk/epaper/index.aspx?Issue=NP_ISB&Page=Metropolitan_Page009&Date=20150325&Pageno=9&View=1
http://www.jehanpakistan.com/epaper/detail_news.php?news=%2Fepaper%2Fepaper%2Fislamabad%2F250315%2FP2-04.jpg#sthash.oRxeAOMo.uSratRaN.dpbs
Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek held its Sindh Provincial Assembly in Sukkur, Sindh. After the Assembly, a protest was staged against the Amended Seed Act 2014 which was recently passed by the National Assembly. The protest was attended by farmers from many districts in Sindh including Tando Mohammad Khan and Badin. PKMT’s Alo Bheel provincial coordinator stated that they were determined to fight against the draconian seed bill which against the collective rights of farmers on seeds. Zahoor Joya , the Provincial Coordinator, also stressed the need for a collective fight against the seed bill. Raja Mujeeb the National Coordinator PKMT said the Seed Bill not only hold the farmers hostage to foreign corporations and destroy the local seed industry.
http://e.jang.com.pk/03-24-2015/karachi/page11.asp#;
