KARACHI: Pakistan is set to ink an agreement with the US multinational
company Monsanto before the advent of the next cotton season to
introduce Bioinsecticide Cotton (Bt Cotton) in the country.
This move, critics fear, could ultimately pave the way for the
monopolisation of the seed business in Pakistan. "For the time being,
Pakistan has signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with Monsanto but we hope
to sign an agreement with the company before the beginning of the next
cotton season," Abdul Qadir Baloch, Federal Crop Commissioner, told
media.
He rejected the notion that the agreement would lead to the
monopolisation of the seed business, and ultimately, of food and
agriculture in Pakistan. "Cotton leaf curl virus is a big problem for
this country. Previously, it was called Multan curl virus, then it was
termed Burewala curl virus. We have been trying to contain it since
2000. By the time we sign an agreement with Monsanto, our research will
be completed and the company will insert its virus resistant gene into
our varieties," he said.
Many independent scientists beg to differ with Baloch and fear
repercussions of the highest order once Bt Cotton is introduced in
Pakistan officially. "Bt Cotton has been sown in India by a joint
venture company comprising Monsanto and the results have been
disastrous. Thousands of farmers had a very poor cotton crop and
suffered losses," said Dr Azra Talat Sayeed, a PhD in social pharmacy
who works with Roots for Equity, a non-governmental organisation.
She argued that since Pakistan and India have similar climatic
conditions, there was every chance that Pakistan would bear the same
losses as India. She said Monsanto maintains that transgenic cotton or
Bt Cotton does not require pesticide spraying on the crop but all
evidence until now has shown that there was no reduction in pesticide
spraying.
"This basically means that Monsanto will not only reap profits for its
Bt Cotton but also on its pesticide which is the prescribed one for Bt
Cotton, all at the cost of poor, small farmers of Pakistan," she
cautioned.
"The issue is not confined to Bt Cotton. It is of accepting transgenic
seeds per se. Once we allow genetically modified seeds in the organism
we are accepting Bt Rice and Bt Corn, all of which are potentially
hazardous, genetically modified organisms. This will give agro-chemical
crops total monopoly over our food and agriculture," she said.
However, Monsanto Pakistan rejects these apprehensions. Amir M Mirza,
spokesman for Monsanto Pakistan in a query from media, said: "Introduction of Bt Cotton through legal means will provide the
Pakistani farmers access to technology which has been successfully
commercialised in other major cotton-producing countries, where millions
of farmers are benefiting from it. Other public and private technology
providers, both foreign and indigenous, are free to introduce their
technologies - farmers will have the choice to decide on which
technology they would like to use, their decision will of course be
based on which technology gives them the maximum benefit."
He also disputed that farmers have suffered after the introduction of Bt
Cotton in India. "There have been numerous socio-economic studies done
by credible third party agencies highlighting the tremendous value Bt
Cotton has created for Indian farmers and society at large."
Elaborating, he said: "Five years from the introduction of Bt Cotton in
India, the Bt cotton area has soared from slightly over hundred thousand
acres to 15.3 million acres grown by approximately 4 million small and
resource-poor farmers the yields have gone up by up to 50 per cent,
insecticide sprays have reduced by half, and the farm income at the
national level has increased up to $1.7 billion as compared to $840
million in 2006."
Genetically-modified seeds have already been illegally sown in Hyderabad
and Sanghar districts in Sindh and in different areas of Punjab through
smuggled seeds from India but the outcome has not been encouraging.
Monsanto, having made inroads in India, one of the world's largest
cotton producers, has been trying to break into the Pakistan market to
sell GM cotton seeds since 2002 despite the reservations of scientists
and lack of bio-safety laws. In a country short of water, Monsanto has
been making much of the fact that Bt Cotton needs less water than the
staple food crop of rice.
Cotton is vital for Pakistan's economy and poor farmers in the country
live under an exploitative landholding system and more than 30 per cent
of the population is condemned to live below the poverty line. Bad
irrigation practices and droughts have made growing crops increasingly
difficult and the country, which used to export grain, now has to import
it.
Cotton harvesting is done between October and December. After this,
ginning begins and the crop starts coming into the market by the middle
of the year. Cotton accounts for 8.2 per cent of the value addition in
agriculture and about two per cent of GDP. The Punjab grows more than 70
per cent of the crop alone.
Dr Abid Azhar, professor and co-director general, Dr AQ Khan Institute
of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, University of Karachi, said: "All multinational corporations have their commercial and economic
interests and we have to strike a balance between their commercial
interests and the interests of our economy and well-being of the
community."
Elaborating, he said: "It may be true that genetically modified
varieties could have a better yield but their affects on human health
could not be ignored. On the one hand, the economic interests of the
farmers have to be protected, on the other, the health of the community
at large should be safeguarded."
He went on to add: "There have been several reports on the adverse
effects of these varieties on human health in India and elsewhere," he
pointed out. But Aamir Mirza of Monsanto denied these conclusions and
claimed that there were no adverse affects of GMOs on human health.
"Several scientific publications continue to document safety information
about the genetically-enhanced crops," he said. Whether Monsanto or the
concerned academics and NGOs are right on this all-important question,
the public will only know when it is too late. Our decision-makers have
already decided to move ahead on this controversial pla
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