Category Archives: Genetically Modified Seeds

Controversy over commercial use of GM corn seeds

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ASHFAK BOKHARI

A HEATED controversy is raging over whether or not the government has given a go-ahead to some multinationals to make commercial sale of GM corn seeds at a time when the Seed (Amendment) Bill, which allows it, has yet to be passed by the Senate.

The companies claim to have received a formal permission and licences from the Ministry of Climate Change. But in response to a point of order raised by an opposition MNA in the National Assembly a fortnight ago, two federal ministers Khurram Dastgir and Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan categorically denied that the government had given licence to any multinational company for commercial trial of GM (genetically modified) corn seeds. GM corn is stated to be a crop with serious side-effects because of cross-pollination that can contaminate other non-GM crops within a range of 200-500 metres.

The question that remains unanswered is which authorities have given permission to the seed companies. The National Bio-safety Centre, whose committee normally gives approval, is not functional these days and there is none to monitor the new technology and gather data.

However, the permission, if at all, has been given without conducting the required field trials of the GM seeds and this, the critics say, constitutes a clear violation of the national bio-safety laws and the international standard operating procedures. But Croplife, the industry’s representative body, insists that the authorities concerned have already given the go-ahead.

The country’s laboratories are not in a position to handle the situation and its institutions are also not capable of monitoring and regulating the GM corn crop.

Croplife also claims that the Technical Advisory Committee’s sub-committee for field monitoring visited all trial sites in each growing season for collecting data and assessing compliance. The reports for each season and each year were submitted to the relevant departments and ministries.

Besides, it said, the sub-committee for GM corn commercialisation had thoroughly reviewed all the field trial reports to assess the risk and concluded that GM corn is as safe as non-GM corn.

Maybe, instead of field trials involving farmers, some observers say, small-scale tests in confined areas were conducted in certain government institutions and universities. No insect resistance management programme was considered and no proper Refugia was planned. Refugia means a 5-10pc area covered by a crop where non-GM seeds are cultivated to delay resistance.

Monsanto, a leading US seed multinational, claims that the government had recently allowed commercialisation of its GM corn in Pakistan after a long and rigorous process starting from 2009. Aamir Mirza, CEO, of Monsanto Pakistan says that “the government has accepted our two technologies namely Insect Protection and Herbicide Tolerant.”

He said that a monitoring sub-committee had visited fields for assessment of trials a number of times in each growing season and during this period, the company had followed a proper procedure for seeking approval from the National Biodiversity Committee and it went for seed imports and field trials only after the approval was received.

A former chief of Environment Protection Agency, Asif Shuja, says the decision had been taken in haste by the government with no proper procedure followed or risk assessment carried out. This could raise grave problems in future.

The country’s laboratories, he says, are not in a position to handle the situation and its institutions are also not capable of monitoring and regulating the GM corn crop. There is need for a proper risk assessment of the new technology and to ascertain whether the manpower, institutions and system available at the moment could tackle the challenge.

Local seed industry officials are of the view that since the government has no option but to support the biotech industry because of political reasons, what is needed is a strong regulatory system to strengthen the biotech research and development activities.

According to the findings of the World Bank’s International Agency for Research on Cancer made public in March 2015, glyphosate — a chemical in herbicides that are widely used on GM crops — is ‘probably carcinogenic to humans’. Glyphosate is used in a US multinational’s branded herbicide Roundup Ready, which can be sprayed on crops that have been genetically modified to tolerate glyphosate.

Many Pakistani NGOs and farmer organisations have been opposing the GM technology for its anti-farmer bias and health risks. Many of them have written to the Senate’s chairman, asking him to reject the draft Seed Act 2014 and enact a new law in its place that protects the interests of small farmers who under the present bill could be fined and imprisoned for preserving, selling and exchanging seeds, a centuries-old tradition that has helped them produce grains in surplus.

Published in Dawn, Business & Finance weekly, April 4th, 2016

http://www.dawn.com/news/1249740/controversy-over-commercial-use-of-gm-corn-seeds

Experts question approval of GM corn, cotton to be sold in market

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JAMAL SHAHID

ISLAMABAD: The government has approved over 100 varieties of genetically modified corn and cotton to be sold in the market, but the move has drawn concern from some agriculture experts.

They have argued that the regulatory system and national bio-safety laws, and the standard operating procedure for the commercialisation of genetically engineered technology have been ignored.

Defending the government, recently appointed Ministry of Climate Change Secretary Syed Abu Ahmad Akif, expressed his team’s confidence in the integrity of the approval process.

Experts say bio-safety laws, SOPs for commercialisation of genetically engineered technology have been ignored

He said: “The technical advisory committee (TAC), made up of agriculture scientists from around the country, recommended 113 varieties of GM corn and cotton for field-testing and commercialisation. All these recommendations have been approved.”

However, experts maintain that multinational seed producing companies had only conducted small scale two-year regulatory trials in confined fields at their premises.

These companies did not carry out large scale nationwide adaptability trials before selling genetically modified technologies to local farmers as required under international and national laws.

The trials are necessary to check the performance of genetically engineered seeds in domestic environments and assess the risk of imported genetically modified technologies on the local environment and on humans.

“A unique example has been set in the world, where no risk assessment has been conducted of genetically engineered technologies,” a senior official from the Pakistan Agriculture Research Centre (PARC) said.

One of the main concerns of many agriculture experts is that the approved varieties of genetically modified corn and cotton contain herbicide-resistant gene. The PARC official said: “These GM technologies require extensive pesticide sprays, such as Roundup glyphosate, to kill pests and control weeds. Over 34 species of weed have developed resistance against glyphosate around the world, causing super weeds to develop.”

Last year, the World Health Organisation announced that glyphosate, which is a key ingredient in pesticides such as the Roundup herbicide, is a human carcinogen.

PTI MNA Dr Arif Alvi also expressed concerns over the matter in parliament last week. In response to his questions, both Commerce Minister Khuram Dastagir Khan and Minister for National Food Security and Research Malik Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan stated that multinational seed and pesticide production companies were not permitted to market their genetically modified technologies.

However, the country head of the multinational genetically modified seed production company Dupont, Nadeem Mirza, told Dawn that his company can now sell new genetically modified corn seed technologies to farmers.

Aamir M Mirza, the country head at Monsanto, said: “Large scale trials could not be carried out until these technologies, tested and approved in other countries, were approved by local authorities. Large scale trials will now be done after the government has permitted us.”

PTI’s Dr Alvi has said he will move a breach of privilege motion for being mislead in parliament.

“Genetically engineered seed technologies have not been tested in large scale areas. GM corn is a highly cross-pollinating crop and can contaminate other, non-GM crops. GM technologies might be the need of the future, but all the safeguards must be followed before alien varieties of crops are introduced in Pakistan that can endanger its indigenous strategic crops,” he said.

Some of the first countries to adopt genetically engineered cotton, such as India, China and Australia, have not allowed genetically modified corn to be grown on their soil, fearing health and environmental hazards.

Dr Inayatullah, who has a PhD in Entomology (pest control) from the Oklahoma State University, said that once sown, genetically modified crops such as corn will interfere with indigenous crop varieties and harm the natural evolutionary process. He argued that genetically modified varieties would give rise to new pests that would likely endanger Pakistan’s indigenous crops, particularly sugarcane, rice, wheat and sorghum.

“GM crops trigger allergies, diabetes and cancer. This is true in America, one of the largest consumers of GM foods and highest numbers of diabetes and cancer patients,” he said.

Experts have said that in 2014, multinationals had asked to import genetically modified corn and cotton seeds from the United States and the Philippines for large scale testing to assess environmental and health hazards. According to documents available with Dawn, they were not given permission.

In 2014, the Lahore High Court ordered the climate change ministry not to issue licences and no-objection certificates for the trial and commercialisation of genetically modified technologies.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2016

http://www.dawn.com/news/1248351/experts-question-approval-of-gm-corn-cotton-to-be-sold-in-market

PLANT BREEDERS RIGHTS BILL: FARMERS AND SEED COMPANIES TO DEBATE BILL,GIVE INPUT

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By Peer Muhammad

The proposed law is targeted at achieving several goals such as encouraging plant breeders and seed organisations in the public and private sectors to invest in research. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD: In a bid to establish a viable seed industry, the government last month introduced the Plant Breeders Rights Bill 2015 in the National Assembly. The bill is aimed at ensuring availability of high-quality seeds and planting material to farmers.

All major stakeholders will give their opinion and input for inclusion in the bill in a meeting next week at the Ministry of National Food Security and Research. Later, the lower house will refer the bill to the standing committee concerned for deliberations.

The National Assembly Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat after discussing the bill decided on Monday to invite all relevant stakeholders including farmers, private seed companies and provincial government officials to the next meeting at the food ministry.

Plant breeder rights are specific intellectual property rights that are provided to the breeders of new varieties of plants. Apart from this, in order to comply with the World Trade Organisation or trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPS) agreement, the government has already introduced several other laws to protect intellectual property.

The proposed law is targeted at achieving several goals such as encouraging plant breeders and seed organisations in the public and private sectors to invest in research and plant breeding, develop superior varieties of field, vegetable and ornamental crops and facilitate access to protected foreign varieties and new technologies.

Additionally, the bill will encourage healthy competition in seed variety development among public and private sector organisations, facilitate in generating revenues for research institutes, provide financial incentives for plant breeders and effectively control counterfeiting for the betterment of farmer community and ensuring food security.

At present, many foreign companies are not coming to Pakistan to invest in this industry due to lack of protection for their products in the absence of an effective plant breeder rights law.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 29th, 2015

.http://tribune.com.pk/story/1017797/plant-breeders-rights-bill-farmers-and-seed-companies-to-debate-bill-give-input/

LAW TO PROTECT PLANT BREEDERS

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Dawn, Business & Finance weekly, December 7th, 2015

ASHFAK BOKHARI

WITH the introduction of the Plant Breeders’ Rights Bill 2015 in the National Assembly on November 27 by the Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Riaz Hussain Pirzada, the country is close to meeting its obligations in the seed sector as required by the WTO’s Trips regime.

The Seed Amendment Bill 2014, another related legislation, has already been passed by the lower house and is awaiting a formal nod from the upper house to become a law. The two bills were originally moved in 2010 but were then put on the backburner.

After remaining frozen for four years, one bill, relating to seed business, was revived last year following the formation of the Intellectual Property Organisation (IPO-Pak) as a regulator of intellectual property rights (IPRs). The seed bill, an amended form of 1976 law, was re-launched as 2014 bill.

The plant breeders rights bill, which the NA Speaker immediately referred to the standing committee concerned, has been revived this year and re-launched as a 2015 bill. Pirzada had moved the bill in the house on behalf of the minister of state for parliamentary affairs.

The bill aims at establishing a viable seed industry for food security and ensuring the availability of high quality seeds and planting material to farmers.

How long it will take to become a law is anybody’s guess. Pakistan, being a member of the WTO, is required to provide protection to plant varieties under sui generis system under Article 27-3 (b) of the Trips law. The sui generis (unique) system for plant varieties must comply with the basic principles of national (equal) treatment.

The government has already adopted and enforced major IP laws such as patents, trademarks, copyrights and industrial designs. According to the stated objectives of the proposed law, the government will encourage plant breeders and seed organisations in both public and private sectors to invest in research and plant breeding; help breeders develop superior varieties of crops; provide access to protected foreign varieties and new technologies and effectively control the menace of counterfeit seeds.

Once the bill is passed, a registry of plant breeders’ rights will be established under the administrative control of IPO-Pak. The new law will effectively protect IPRs of the breeders which are described as a limited form of proprietary rights, which permit their holders to exclude others from producing and selling seeds of their plant varieties without legal authorisation.

The holder will charge royalty on the sale of seeds of his variety and will have the right to initiate civil proceedings against the persons found infringing his rights. Such protection may encourage foreign firms to invest in plant breeding in Pakistan.

Agriculture, including seed business, became a provincial subject after the passage of the 18th Amendment in the constitution in 2010. But, according to federal minister for food security Sikandar Hayat Bosan, all the provincial assemblies had passed a special resolution authorising the federal government to amend the Seed Act of 1976 and retain it as a federal subject.

During the long journey the two bills traversed, the basic reforms suggested in their drafts had been the focus of intense debate in the NA standing committee discussions, among civil society groups, farmers bodies and other stakeholders.

That the draft of new seed law tends to invite foreign private sector to effectively take part in the country’s seed development is evident from Bosan’s statement attached with the text of the law. The 1976 law, he says, had failed to fulfill the requirements of a ‘modern seed industry’ for the capacity of the public sector has, over the years, greatly declined.

Today, he says, “it is the private sector which is playing a stronger and more vibrant role across the world. The new innovations in hybrid technology and genetically modified crops have transformed the seed industry.” The new law will also allow the private sector “to produce basic seed for its multiplication and certification” and establish seed testing laboratories.

The bill permits registration of GM crops provided no terminator technology is involved in the development of seed variety.

What has offended the farmers’ community in particular is preventing them from carrying on age-old practice of re-using the saved seeds for next crop. They will have to buy seeds for each crop from the companies at a higher cost. This is unaffordable for small farmers, at least, and soon they may have to quit the farming.

The foreign office’s opposition to GM seeds is a significant matter as conveyed by Environmental Protection Agency’s chief during the proceedings of a public interest petition in Lahore High Court. While appearing on behalf of the federation on May 14, 2014, he said: “the Foreign Office has also conveyed its concern to the Climate Change Division that the subject of GM seeds is a matter of grave concern for national security and trade. It can be used as a biological weapon of mass destruction to destroy Pakistan’s major crops such as potato, wheat, rice, corn, cotton and vegetables through modified viruses, bacteria and other parasites.”

http://www.dawn.com/news/1224587/law-to-protect-plant-breeders

Destruction of the Cotton Harvest: A Golden Opportunity for Transnational Corporations?

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 Dr. Azra Talat Sayeed

In Pakistan, newspapers have been rife with news on the pink bollworm attack on the cotton harvest this year. The scenario is indeed disastrous on many accounts. Of course, the very first in line to be caught in the destruction are Pakistan’s millions of small farmers. With cotton being a major cash crop, millions rely on the cotton harvest to provide them with a sizeable amount of their income. In fact, they go heavily into debt to not only buy the cottonseed but also very expensive fertilizers and the many types of pesticides that are sprayed on cotton, without which conventional or genetically modified seeds will not yield a harvest. According to small farmers from Multan and Sahiwal, nearly 90 percent of crop has been destroyed. For farmers who have leased land their loss per acre is approximately Rs 40,000 in Multan. For those, who have their own land loss is about Rs 20,000 per acre.

Another critical point is the amount of pesticides that have been used on the cotton crop this year. A newspaper advisory from the government mentions the ‘correct’ use of pesticides that farmer should be applying on cotton. That is indeed ironical: one of the hypes used for promotion of Bt cotton has been its ability to ward off pest attack. But this year the attack of pink bollworms has put to rest this myth, at least.

For those of us who have long critiqued the promotion of genetically modified seeds one does not know whether to rejoice the failure of the harvest or to mourn the loss of livelihood and further ecological harm that this crop has been able to havoc on the environment?

There are farmers who also feel that this failure can be beneficial to gigantic seed corporations who thrive on their patented very expensive seeds. Next year would be an ideal year for seed giants such as Monsanto to insist on selling very expensive branded Bt Cotton.

According to a farmer from a small farmers alliance namely Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek (PKMT), this could be a golden opportunity for the push to change from cotton to corn sowing. As we all know, corn is being used for making ethanol. Pioneer, another American company has been promoting the use of certain branded corn varieties that are used for animal feed. The animal dung from these animals yield higher urea content and is considered to be a good source of biogas.

What is the cost of these branded seeds? An example is of hybrid corn seeds in the market. Seeds by Pioneer, Syngenta and Monsanto are priced at Rs 5,500 to Rs 6,000 per 10 kg which is what is needed per acre. The ‘beauty of these seeds is that none of them give seed for next year cultivation. Hence the farmer has to buy seeds every year. This was the main pivot for pushing for intellectual property rights on seeds under the TRIPs agreement in the WTO.

At the moment all cottonseed in the market is being sold with out trade marks. For one kilogram of cotton seed the price can vary from Rs 300 to Rs 1500/kg. If women sow seed by hand than at least 3 kg seed is needed; if seed drills are used than 5-8 kg is used. Of course if patented cotton seed is introduced next year, the reason for passing the Amended Seed Act 2015, then there is no doubt that cotton seed costs will jump sky high.

So indeed, the cotton crop failure this year could be exactly the kind of situation that the multinational corporations have been advocating: substandard seed is the cause of the current catostrope. However, it needs to be pointed out that Bt Cotton has suffered a similar fate in India where Bt Cotton seed is very much under patent protection. The Nagpur-based Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR) has confirmed the pink bollworm resistance to Monsanto’s second-generation biotechnology protection Bollgard-II in some parts of Indian Gujarat

So on one hand Pakistan’s agriculture faces crop failure due to malfunctioning hybrid and GM seeds although the corporations continue the propaganda that patented seeds will not give very high yields. On the hand, crop pattern in itself is changing: there is increasing push to grow sugar cane ethanol. According to OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook, Pakistan has increased it ethanol production from 97.2 million litres in 2004 to 321.8 million litres in 2014. Based on newspaper reporting much of the ethanol in Pakistan is being sent to Europe.

There is every chance that corn will also gain ground for ethanol and/or as feed and urea production. If indeed, western countries in their ‘addiction’ to energy are looking for markets for not only their seeds but also land for growing ethanol, then Pakistan’s agricultural production is most probably fall back on colonial production and trade patterns.  We will be once again a cash crop supplier to Europe and other rich nations, as in the days of colonization.

Do our farmers want to be energy suppliers to the oil-guzzling vehicle industry in the North? What about food for our people? What is the cost of producing clean energy for Northern ‘democracies’? What are the chances for equitable land distribution in this current scenario? Will the landlords not be even more strong now? And of course the onslaught of land grabbing will certainly gain momentum to gain maximum profits from oil producing crops not to mention other lucrative corporate agriculture ventures? In how many more ways are we going to suffer from the imperialist nations’ constant plundering from our soils?