The Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), along with Vandana Shiva of Navdanya, today alleged that global seed major Monsanto has illegally introduced herbicide-resistant GMO (round-up ready flex Bt Cotton) which is known to cause cancer, into the country. Monsanto has vehemently denied the charge.
The round-up ready Bt cotton has been introduced in bollgard-2 packages, the organisations alleged.
The Manch, along with Shiva in a joint press conference held today, said round up, a glyphosate-based herbicide has been declared a "probable carcinogen" by the World Health Organization (WHO).
After reports of contamination in their fields, farmers collected sample from different areas and sent them to the Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR), and they confirmed the presence of round-up ready (RR) Bt cotton, which is not only illegal but a major hazard for the health of the Indian people, SJM alleged, adding that cotton bolls collected from six fields tested positive for RR flex packaged as bollgard-2.
In response, Monsanto said that it conducts its businesses in a transparent and ethical manner and in adherence with the laws of the land, adding that commercialization of any new technology in India happens only after it secures the requisite permissions from the regulatory authorities.
"Glyphosate is one of the most widely used and comprehensively evaluated herbicides with a 40-year history of safe use. The European Chemical Agency (ECHA) as recently as March 2017 after a rigorous and comprehensive assessment of the safety data on glyphosate, affirmed glyphosate is safe and not a carcinogen. ECHA's conclusions are highly regarded within and outside Europe as an important reference for chemical regulation," Monsanto said in response.