In a paddy field close to Lucknow, Greenpeace activists and Bharatiya Kisan Union farmers send out a message to the government that they will not allow any GE rice in this region. By allowing large-scale open-air field trials in a dozen locations across the country, the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee has opened the floodgates to genetic contamination of India's food supply.
Releasing the report titled 'Risky Business'[1] that enumerates
the loss due to contamination of rice from Bayer's field trials in
the US, Greenpeace activists and farmers from Bharatiya Kissan
Union (BKU) covered a paddy field at Mahura Kalam village, about 25
kms. from Lucknow, with a mammoth 7500 sq. ft. banner reading "Save
Our Rice." The environmental organisation called for an immediate
halt to further GE rice field trials in India.
Greenpeace and BKU have acted to draw attention of the Indian
government to the contamination threat faced by rice farmers in
Lucknow because of the proposed open-air field trials of Bt rice by
Maharashtra Hybrid Seed Company (Mahyco) in the district.
Traces of the Bayer's GE rice variety LL601, known as Liberty
Link were discovered in US rice supply in 2006. The contamination
arose from experimental field trials of this variety carried out in
the US in 2001. The discovery triggered the largest financial and
marketing disaster in the history of the US rice industry. At least
30 countries were affected by the contamination and many -
including major importers such as the European Union, Japan and the
Philippines - closed their markets to US rice.
"This serves as a wake-up call to the Indian government which
has thrown all caution to the wind in venturing down the Genetic
Engineering food crop route," said Rajesh Krishnan, Greenpeace
Campaigner for GE-Free India. "Limited field trials of just one
strain of GE rice led to financial losses that some farmers in the
US may never recover from. Banning crop trials and cultivation of
GE rice is the only way to prevent replications of such a disaster
in India." asserted Rajesh.
'Risky Business', authored by independent economists, quantifies
the cost to the industry from Bayer's GE rice scandal across the
produce supply chain. It concludes that rice growers, harvesters,
processors, millers and retailers were unwittingly caught up in the
scandal which affected 63 per cent of US rice exports. The overall
cost to the industry, estimated at over US $1.2 billion, included
losses of up to US $253 million from food product recalls and
future export losses amounting to US $445 million.
Prodded by supportive regulators, multinational crop companies
such as Monsanto seem more than willing to override any concerns
that India's farmers, traders and consumers might have, and push
ahead with GE crop trials. "India's basmati rice rowers are
committed to remaining GE free" said Rakesh Tikait, national
spokesperson of BKU. "However, experimental trials of other GE rice
strains are to take place next to basmati growing areas, creating a
risk of contamination which could affect our rice export market
which was worth Rs. 7035 crore in 2006-07 and thereby seal the fate
of our paddy farmers."
The Indian Government has approved field trials of GE rice in 12
locations across the country this year including one in Lucknow in
Uttar Pradesh, which is part of the Basmati belt. An interim order
by the Supreme Court has delayed planting, but it could take place
as early as next month.
"As revealed by the responses Greenpeace received under the
Right to Information Act from the Department of Biotechnology, this
is happening in the absence of any bio-safety study on Bt rice by
the government," informed Rajesh Krishnan. In the light of current
circumstances, Greenpeace and the BKU demand that the government
respect the will of farmers, traders and consumers and abandon
plans for GE crop trials immediately.
For further information, contact
For more details, contact:
Rajesh Krishnan, Campaigner for a GE-Free India, Greenpeace
Mobile: +91-98456-50032, email: 
Saumya Tripathi, Communications, Greenpeace
Mobile: +91-93438-62212, email: 
Notes to Editor
[1] The report is available online at: http://www.greenpeace.org/raw/content/international/press/reports/risky-business.pdf