AP Govt action against Mosanto welcomed

Hyderabad, May 18 (UNI) Noted Scientist Vandana Shiva today welcomed the case filed by the Andhra Pradesh Government against Bt seed major MoNsanto and said the exclusion of patents on seeds should be maintained to prevent further indebtedness and suicides among farmers.

In city as part of National Bija Yatra, a movement to stop the genocide of Indian farmers and reclaim the country's food sovereignty, Dr Shiva told the media in the case of Andhra Pradesh, MoNsanto was collecting royalty though it did not have a patent on Bt Cotton.

Dr Vandana said the entry of Monsanto had caused a seed famine in the country despite India's rich bio-diversity and abundance of seeds among farmers and public sector research institutions.

She demanded a moratorium on cotton planting and an independent study on the socio-economic, health and environmental impact of Bt Cotton undertaken with citizen participation.

Dr Shiva also emphasised laws such as the proposed Seed Act, 'which will destroy farmers varieties and rights and make them totally dependent on unreliable genetically modified seeds from corporations like MoNsanto,' should not be allowed.

The Bija Yatra was spreading awareness among farmers on GM seeds, corporate farming and seed monopolies.

Referring to recent American President George Bush's visit to the city, Dr Shiva alleged the knowledge agreement in agriculture, finalised here during Mr Bush's visit, focused exclusively on genetic engineering and further cripple India's seed sovereignty.

She said the yatra will also build movements and partnerships to strengthen people's alternatives and counter corporate strategies to 'destroy India'small farmer-based decentralised and diverse food systems.' UNI ASJ GM AD VC1925