Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Thousand of Indian farmers protest against corporate imperialism and Government promotion of GMO seed.


We have learned from sources in India that the deeply unpopular Modi government is facing a massive revolt against the Government's possibly corrupt and certainly undemocratic collaboration with biotech giants like Du Pont and Monsanto if trying to use legislative power to force farmers to accept the introduction of Genetically Modified seed.

Massive protests against the Modi Government and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) coalition took place in Delhi on March 18, 2015. The demonstrations were organised by the major agricultural unions of India and have to the launch of widespread lobbying campaign by groups supporting farmer’s rights and cost of living allocations in the capital city.

According to the All India Coordination Committee of Farmers Movement (AICCFM), Modi and the NDA came to power by way of funding from the GMO lobby which is led by Monsanto and Du Pont. These corporations and their business partners represent the patent holders of genetically modified seed inputs which are now promoted by programs focused on agribusiness in many emerging and developing nations.

Complaining that lack of transparency about political campaign funding, and standing anti-farmer policies indicate there is corruption at all levels of agricultural governance, the AICCFM demands changes to the Land Acquisition Ordinance that ultimately protects independent farmers' property rights. The Committee is also requesting the changes to commercial-growing guidelines which now include mandated adherence to patent rules assigning apportioned proprietary ownership of GM crops, including percentages of sales owed to the genetic patent registrar - i.e. the Biotech corporations (sic).

While imposition fair and remunerative pricing for farm produce is a long standing new demand from the AICCFM, the request for restructuring fair trade agreements (FTAs) and of establishing a farm income commission is. Elimination of agriculture from the World Trade Organization (WTO) free trade agreements, indemnity for farm disaster relief and open air field trials of GM crops are cited as other issues that the farm unions wish to change.

This situation portends trouble for the Trans Pacific Partnership, evil twin of the TTIP (Trans Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership) being fast tracked by the USA'a Obama administration, which would give corporate businesses the right and ability to overturn laws enacted by the elected governments of sovereign states.

RELATED POSTS:

Bee Apocalypse: France Bans Bee Killing Pesticides

France is the first nation in Europe to act to ban the bee killing pesticides, neonicotinoids. While the EU's ruling bureaucracy has pressured member nations to go with the pesticides, and with glysophate (brand name Roundup) associated with Genetically modified food crops but recently named as a likely cancer causing agent in humans ...

Corporate Capitalism Has Replaced Democracy In Western Nations.
Although this is about the UK General Election in 2015 it has much wider relevance, concerning what is happening in the democratic societies of the developed nation. For that reason this look at how corporate capitalism is usurping democracy and individual freedom will also be relevant long after that election in May 2025.


Black Hat Biotech index
The GM Golden rice con causes problems in Asia
GM banned in Argentina as health crisis grows
Now Mexico bans GM as farmers suffer crop failures
GM risk: Show us the evidence they said. Here it is.
GM never safe says award winning geneticist