GM Cotton

I don't wish to bore members in this forum with Genetic Engineering topics. But perhaps one posting will not do any harm.

This is a posting from another forum organic_indian@yahoogroups.com

Selvaraj

Dear Colleagues,

The report on Bt Cotton cultivation in Madhya Pradesh
records on the harm to hte health of workers in
cultivation and handling of cotton. Best wishes.
Kisan Mehta Priya Salvi Rajiv Bhatt

PRAKRUTI
620, Jame Jamshed Road, Dadar East,
Mumbai - 400 014
Tel: 0091 22 24149688
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----- Forwarded Message -----

GM WATCH daily
http://www.gmwatch.org
1.RESEARCHER COMMENTS ON NEW REPORT ON BT COTTON AND ALLERGIC REACTIONS
2.READ THE REPORT ONLINE
3.JEFFREY SMITH ON BT AND HEALTH

EXCERPT: Mice exposed to Bt-toxin developed an immune response equal to that
of cholera toxin, developed a greater susceptibility to allergies, and
developed abnormal and excessive cell growth in their small intestines. Farm
workers exposed to even the low dose Bt spray showed evidence of allergic
sensitivity, and blood tests showed an immune response. Preliminary evidence
found that thirty-nine Philippinos living next to a Bt maize field developed
skin, intestinal, and respiratory reactions while the maize was pollinating.
1.AUTHOR COMMENTS ON NEW REPORT ON BT COTTON AND ALLERGIC REACTIONS

Dear Friends,

Last season we received lot of complaints from cotton growing farmers of
Nimar regarding allergic reactions being caused by BT cotton and thus to
investigate a three member panel was constituted which covered 6 villages in
2 district and talked with various groups of people associated with handling
cotton and experts. They included women involved in picking cotton,
labourers involved in loadng-unloading of Rui, Ginning factory workers,
local doctor, agri-bioscientists.

We found people suffered allergic reactions as a result of a direct contact
with Bt cotton in various body parts which included hands, feet, face, eyes
and nose etc and some people become very severally ill. According to Dr
Debashish Banerji of SPS Bagli, the whole plant of Bt is secreting a
poisonous toxin which is supposed to kill American bollworm but this toxin
can certainly cause allergy.

In 2004-05, 5.84 lakh Hectares of land was under Cotton cultivation and
since 2002 bt cotton is being grown in MP in a bigway. The Bt cotton plant
has gene of a bacteria which secretes a toxin for killing the cotton
bollworms.

In our study we found that 82.6 % persons suffered from redness of skin, 48
% had eye symptoms and 39 %persons had symptoms related to nose (upper
respiratory Tract). The local doctor of the area has reported that he has
recived 100 and 150 cases of allergy in 2004 and 2005 in the cotton season.
Kalibai of Kothra has said she is working since 20 years picking cotton but
never suffered any symptoms but in 2004 she sufferd very bad allergy due to
picking of Bt cotton.

We demand that a detailed survey should be conducted by Govt to study the
health impact of this new GM seed and spread awareness amongst the people.

I am sending copy of detailed report.

Ashish Mandloi
2.READ THE REPORT ONLINE

We've put the full version of the investigative report on the Impact of Bt
Cotton on Farmers' Health (in Barwani and Dhar District of Madhya Pradesh,
India, Oct - Dec 2005) on the GM Watch website.

We've published it in two parts:

Impact of Bt Cotton on Farmers' Health
Part 1
http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=6265

Impact of Bt Cotton on Farmers' Health
Part 2
http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=6266
3.JEFFREY SMITH ON BT AND HEALTH
http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=5705%20

Q: South Africa has authorized the growing of GM maize for human
consumption. Do you know the nature of this modification? What is its
intended outcome?

SMITH: The primary trait added to GM corn is the insertion of a gene that
creates the Bt-toxin, which is a pesticide. The industry claims that Bt is
safe, since it has been used in an organic pesticide for years. This is
utter nonsense.

The GM Bt-toxin is engineered to be far more toxic than the natural spray

Q: We are the only country in the world where a GM staple food has been
authorized. How will this affect people where 80-90% of their diet consists
of maize meal and fresh maize on the cob?

SMITH: The GM Bt-toxin in maize is hundreds or even a thousand times more
concentrated than the spray

The spray degrades in the sunlight in a few days, but the GM variety is
produced by every cell of the maize, around the clock, and eaten by the
consumer.

Mice exposed to Bt-toxin developed an immune response equal to that of
cholera toxin, developed a greater susceptibility to allergies, and
developed abnormal and excessive cell growth in their small intestines. Farm
workers exposed to even the low dose Bt spray showed evidence of allergic
sensitivity, and blood tests showed an immune response. Preliminary evidence
found that thirty-nine Philippinos living next to a Bt maize field developed
skin, intestinal, and respiratory reactions while the maize was pollinating.