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South African Small Farmers Pushed to Plant GM Seed
Summary posted by Meridian on 7/28/2008
Source: Inter Press Service
Author: Kristin Palitza
Lesley Liddell, director of Biowatch South Africa, argues that small-scale farmers are being "lured" by the South African Department of Agriculture into planting genetically modified (GM) crops by promises of substantial bank loans and huge earnings. "But in the end, most farmers end up in huge debt, because they can't save seeds and are obliged to buy the matching GM fertilisers and pesticides," says Liddell. Her organization, Biowatch, is a South African advocacy group that is opposed to the use of GM crops. The article says that because small-scale farmers in rural Africa often have little or no formal education, they are generally unable to make informed choices around GM farming. "We encourage them to attend portfolio committees that discuss GMO regulations, but the farmers' knowledge is very limited, so it's difficult for them to contribute. They understand the issues but not the legislation," says Liddell. The article criticizes the actions of biotechnology companies as well as of the Department of Agriculture. It claims that companies such as Monsanto are promoting the subsidization of patented GM seeds in an attempt to control the world's agricultural production. "It all looks very nice on paper, but it is actually a clever ploy to get access to people's land. Small-scale farmers who sign up for GM deals quickly lose control over seed management, production and eventually their land. This means they lose their food sovereignty," argues Mariam Mayet, director of the African Centre for Biosafety in South Africa. "GMO marginalises poor, small-scale farmers. We are in for hard times and need to fight for people's right to land and resources. But we won't give up," says Mayet. The article can be viewed online at the link below.
The original article may still be available at peaceandjustice.org/article.php/20080723094400103
As tagged by Meridian Institute:
Topics:
Intellectual property (IP), Smallholder farmers, Socio-economic issues, Globalization and Trade
Regions:
South America
Stakeholders:
Farmer, Industry, Non-governmental Organizations (NGO), Government
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-- IFPRI (2/8/2010) This issue brief from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) says many developing countries lack the biosafety systems necessary for the timely and cost-effective adoption of a "new generation" of genetically modified (GM) crops that are currently being developed to help poor farmers overcome a range of different challenges. [More]
-- Voice of America News (2/8/2010) Critics are arguing that a new Ethiopian biodiversity law, approved by parliament last July, "chokes off" research on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) that is aimed at improving crop production. [More]
-- Ekklesia (2/8/2010) An "ethics watchdog" in Brazil, the Alternative Agriculture Support Service (AS-PTA), has expressed alarm at the rise in the use of genetically modified (GM) crops in the country. [More]
-- Nature Biotechnology (2/5/2010) This article examines the scientific evolution of RNA-mediated gene suppression technologies used in agricultural biotechnology and the associated patent landscape. [More]
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