gmo – Page 2

24May

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Events/News

Stop Monsanto Save Bangladesh

UBINIG Bangladeshi farmers unite March Against Monsanto in Dhaka for saving seed resources Protest meeting and Rally against Monsanto at Dhaka: UBINIG ( Policy Research for Development Alternative) and Nayakrishi Andolon (New Agricultural Movement) joined with Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (BAPA), Paribesh Bachao Andolon (POBA) and other organizations to organized a protest meeting against the Monsanto followed by a rally in front of the faculty of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka at 10:30 am on 23 May 2015. Students, teachers, researchers, journalists, social activists, writers, artists, farmers and members of other professions participated in the protest meeting and rally. Abu Naser Khan, Chairman Paribesh Bachao Andolon chaired the protest meeting. Dr. Abdul Matin, General Secri...

Bt. Brinjal: Forced cultivation and poor performance!

16Mar

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Btbrinjal & Corporate Politics

Bt. Brinjal: Forced cultivation and poor performance!

UBINIG Bangladesh is one of the unfortunate countries in Asia, where GM food crops are being forced for introduction without properly following the precautionery principle to protect biological environment and health and proper rules as laid down by international obligations and domestic bindings, particularly related to Biosafety. Genetically modified Bt. Brinjal is one such crop which is a very common vegetable across class, culture and geographical location, and also known to be in the centre of origin, yet the government has approved it for field cultivation in October, 2013 through the national gene bank run by Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI). Despite concerns raised by various farmers groups and environmental groups, the first trial of Bt. Brinjal started in...

GM crops and loss of biodiversity : A Silent Death trap

20May

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GMOs & Genetic Engineerings

GM crops and loss of biodiversity : A Silent Death trap

Farida Akhter The International Day for Biological Diversity on May 22 is observed to increase understanding and awareness on biological diversity that include ecosystemic variability and indigenous knowledge and/or cultural practices. In December 2000, the UN General Assembly adopted this day to commemorate the adoption of the text of the Convention on 22 May 1992 by the Nairobi Final Act of the Conference for the Adoption of the Agreed Text of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). In Bangladesh, the Ministry of Environment and Forest hardly observes the day, though Bangladesh has signed the CBD. Despite many valid critique of the text, people’s environmental and ecological movements consider the day as a historic moment. It has opened up a new epoch to rethink industr...

23Mar

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GMOs & Genetic Engineerings

Farmers’ resistance against GMOs

UBINIG This is a report on “GMOs - A THREAT TO FOOD SOVEREIGNTY” which is a part of regional case studies conducted in Asia, Africa and Latin America. UBINIG was part of it for Bangladesh Case Study. It Studied the process of introduction of GM Rice, Maize, Bt Cotton in Bangladesh and the responses from farmers during June 2006 – January 2007. The case studies were supported by EED Joint Advocacy project, Germany. Introduction Farmers’ varieties have been the foundation of agriculture for centuries. Conventional plant breeding has had considerable success during nineteenth and twentieth century in improving the yield and quality traits of a wide range of plant species to the development of High yielding varieties (HYV). Hybrid breeding technology has been introduced in case of...

Farmers’ protest against Bt brinjal introduction

9Feb

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Btbrinjal & Corporate Politics

Farmers’ protest against Bt brinjal introduction

UBINIG The Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) organised a formal distribution of seedlings of Bt Brinjal to selected farmers on 22nd January, 2014 following the approval for limited cultivation on 30 October 2013. Begum Matia Choudhury, Agriculture Minister has formally handed over the seedlings of Bt brinjal among 20 farmers at Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC), Dhaka. The selected farmers were from of four districts Gazipur, Jamalpur, Rangpur and Pabna. There were protests against such initiative and it seemed that the government cared less about any criticism against Bt Brinjal. In Dhaka, the Coalition against Bt Brinjal organised a protest rally in Dhaka on 23rd January, 2014 demanding that the agriculture ministry cancel its approval of cultivation...

“Approval” story of Bt Brinjal: Continuation from India to Bangladesh

28Dec

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Btbrinjal & Corporate Politics

“Approval” story of Bt Brinjal: Continuation from India to Bangladesh

Farida Akhter Bt. Brinjal, (also known as eggplant or aubergine), a genetically modified food crop, inserted with a gene from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis has been approved by the National Committee on Biosafety (NCB) in Bangladesh for limited scale cultivation by farmers. In a notification (in bangla) of October 30, 2013 bearing a reference No.22.00.0000.073.05.003.2012-271 the Environment Section-2 of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry provisionally approved the petition of BARI to cultivate Bt Begun varieties 1,2,3 and 4 in a limited scale at the field level by following seven conditions: 1. BARI Bt. Brinjal 1, 2, 3 & 4 can be released for cultivation on a limited scale according to the specific work plan proposed and recommended by Bangladesh Agricult...

Autistic babies and connection with GM soybean

11Oct

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GMOs & Genetic Engineerings

Autistic babies and connection with GM soybean

M.A. Sobhan There are evidence of connection between the birth of autistic babies and the GM soybean. Autism is a life- long developmental disability that manifests itself during the first three years of life. A diagnosis of autism can be one of the most devastating diagnoses a parent can hear. At worst, children diagnosed with autism will never be able to function as a normal human being in society. Cause of Autism There are several factors researchers have looked at in attempting to uncover the cause of autism. These include genetics and infections. One of the possible causes of autism is the Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) toxin found in transgenic corn and cottonseed. Study conducted with human reported undigested DNA from GM Roundup herbicide resistant soybean inside the ...

International Scientists Say “No” to Bt Brinjal approval

30Aug

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Btbrinjal & Corporate Politics

International Scientists Say “No” to Bt Brinjal approval

Farida Akhter || Friday 30 August 2013 || READ BY SUBJECT: Btbrinjal & Corporate Politics Despite indefinite moratorium on Bt Brinjal trial in India and Supreme Court ban in the Philippines, it is alarming that Bangladesh is preparing for the approval for commercial release. In India, similar attempts to introduce Bt. Brinjal in the market led to controversy and on February 9, 2010, the ministry of environment and forests imposed a moratorium on Bt Brinjal. In the absence of scientific consensus and opposition from state governments and others, the ministry decided to impose a moratorium on the commercialisation of Bt Brinjal until all concerns expressed by the public, NGOs, scientists and the state government were addressed adequately. In India, the Minister ...

Stop Nerica and Genetically Engineered Bt Brinjal

28Sep

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GMOs & Genetic Engineerings

Stop Nerica and Genetically Engineered Bt Brinjal

UBINIG UBINIG (Policy Research for Development Alternative) and the biodiversity-based farmers’ initiative “Nayakrishi Andolon” expressed concern over promotion of technologies that are direct threat to biodiversity and the food sovereignty of the country. In a discussion meeting titled ‘African NERICA rice and Bt. brinjal are threat to bio-diverse agriculture in Bangladesh’ UBINIG and Nayakrishi Andolon farmers presented field based information to show how these are going to pose a threat to our biodiversity and farmers.The organizations are particularly concerned about the promotion of African Nerica Rice and Bt.Brinjal in Bangladesh. The discussion meeting was held at the Reporters’ Unity, Dhaka on 17 September 2012. Farida Akhter, Executive Director, UBINIG presented th...

25Nov

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Climate Change

Climate Change and Population

Farida Akhter Old game of blaming the poor and women!! The 2009 edition of The State of World Population has been released just before the 15th Session of United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP15) to be held in Copenhagen, Denmark during 7 - 18 December, 2009. It shows that climate change is more than an issue of energy efficiency or industrial carbon emissions; it is also an issue of population dynamics, poverty and gender equity. In Bangladesh, the UNFPA Representative, Mr. Arthur Erken launched the report at Hotel Sonargaon in the capital city Dhaka. It may be noted that the focus of UNFPA report of 2009 is women, population and climate change. To link between population, climate change and women is a bit tricky in the context of developing countries, be...