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Chapter
VI Alternatives to GM Crops Isolation of GM crops from Conventional Crops
Isolation of GM crops from Conventional Crops
…..Will it help? The contribution from the Louis Bolk Institute (p. 12) shows that the organic movement does not consider GM crops as organic. It accepts conventional breeding and the new technologies available to assist it, but finds manipulation at the cell level and below as unacceptable. The article describes how the debate on GE has led organic farmers to reconsider their dependency on seed companies that focus on high-input agriculture. But how can farmers be sure that they grow GM crops, considering that seeds and pollen spread by wind, water, birds and insects. Large areas can be contaminated by the introduction of GM crops by a single farmer. In the US, contamination by GM crops is now such a big problem that organic farmers find it almost impossible to get GM-free seeds. Tests have shown that "organic crops" from the US are often contaminated with engineered genes despite farmers' efforts to stay GM-free. Consequently, the international organic movement (IFOAM) is considering refusing certification of organic crops from the US. But who will pay for the damage inflicted on the organic farmers in the US? 1
Organic Farming What is Organic Agriculture? Organic food production is based on a system of farming that mimics natural ecosystems that balance pest and beneficial organism populations and maintain and replenish fertility of the soil. Organic Agriculture is defined as “holistic food production management system which promotes and enhances agro-ecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It emphasizes the use of management practices in preference to the use of off-farm inputs, taking into account that regional conditions required locally adapted system. This is accomplished by using where possible, agronomic, biological and mechanical methods as opposed to using synthetic materials to fulfill any specific function within the system” ( FAO?WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission) The concept in Organic Agriculture
Aims of Organic
Farming
Organic Farming aims at sustainable development of food production alongside conservation of finite resources and protection of natural environment so that the needs of people living to day can be met without compromising the ability of future generation to meet their own needs.2 Asian scientists, ecologists and farmers recommend traditional and organic methods of farming rather than genetically modified (GM) seeds for higher yields. They say that GM crops would be detrimental to the interests of farmers, would make countries dependent on multinational companies, and compromise their sovereignty. Experts from China, Thailand, the Philippines and Cambodia visited the organic farmers in Medak district supported by the Deccan Development Society and also the Bt cotton farms in Warangal, one of the leading cotton-growing districts in the country. Sharing their experiences with the media here, the visiting experts said that giving in to the pressure of transnational seed companies like Monsanto to adopt GM seeds would result in the companies taking control of our agriculture. Day Cha, Chairman of the Thai NGO Alternative Agriculture Network, said Thailand's national agenda was organic farming. 3
Alternative Pest Management In agriculture, the fight against harmful organisms is essential, and it is therefore necessary to develop appropriate technologies to regulate and control pests. Environmentally-friendly, biological options that do not make use of Genetic Modification Preparation of plant-based pesticides on the farm do exist. These options are based on natural crop protection approaches that make use of the diversity found in nature itself. Some institutions are already investigating and promoting these non-chemical and non-GM options, providing excellent and competitive alternatives for pest management. The challenge in natural crop protection is to have simple and low-cost technologies that are able to regulate pests and diseases and to reduce or completely avoid the problem of contamination by agrochemicals. One such natural crop protection approach is based on the use of plants with biological control properties. Plant types with insecticidal properties that can be used in curative form are equally important. At the moment successful experiences with this type of plant products exist and some of them are even available on the market. Peru has a great potential of plants that have these properties, but research programmes to validate the technical and ecological benefits of these plants are required. Until now, the research efforts for seeking alternatives to chemical inputs have been very limited. A review of research indicated that over the past 40 years, 90% of research has been related to the management of chemical inputs rather than in finding alternative options. 4
There are several approaches to pest control. One is to apply recommended pesticide; second is using Genetically Modified products. Third is Introduction of natural predator insects and something different is the push and pull system. Let us see how they work. 5 Intercropping Intercropping offers farmers the opportunity to engage nature's principle of diversity on their farms. Spatial arrangements of plants, planting rates, and maturity dates must be considered when planning intercrops. Intercrops can be more productive than growing pure stands. Many different intercrop systems are discussed, including mixed intercropping, strip cropping, and traditional intercropping arrangements. Pest management benefits can also be realized from intercropping due to increased diversity. Harvesting options for intercrops include hand harvest, machine harvest for on-farm feed, and animal harvest of the standing crop. 6
In a well-planned inter-cropping system early established plants tend to reduce soil temperature and produce the appropriate microclimate for other plants. Plants also complement each other in terms of nutrient cycling, thus deep-rooted plants can act as 'nutrient pumps' bringing up minerals from deep down in the sub-soil. Minerals released by the decomposition of annuals are taken up by perennials. The high nutrient demands of some plants are compensated for by the addition of organic matter to the soil by others. Thus cereals benefit by being grown in conjunction with legumes, which have deeper roots, permitting a better use of nutrients and soil moisture as well as possessing root nodules, which host bacteria, specialized in fixing nitrogen. 7 In coastal Kerala, rice cultivation is alternated with prawn farming. The method requires no fertilizers or pesticides. Most farmers in the saline coastal tracts of Ernakulam, Thrissur and Alappuzha districts of central Kerala alternate pokkali cultivation with prawn farming. These marshy tracts are close to the Arabian Sea, and saline water floods the fields regularly. The high and low tides affect water and salinity levels. In normal course, soil acidity and high salinity would inhibit rice cultivation. "But pokkali is resistant to salinity, flood and soil acidity," points out V Sreekumar, associate professor, Rice Research Centre at Vyttila, Kochi. Many farmers in area aren’t too keen on it. 8 Maintaining Diversity It is a debatable topic whether GM crops increases bio-diversity or conventional methods of cropping increases bio-diversity but it clear that survival of human beings and other living beings is not possible without diversity. Crop diversity plays a significant role in the metabolism of a traditional agricultural ecosystem and thereby contributes to its productivity. If traditional small farmers plant such a wide diversity of crops, it is not primarily to maximize yields, but to reduce vulnerability to discontinuities such as droughts, floods and plant epidemics. As James Scott, who was an authority on peasant agriculture writes "the local tradition of seed varieties, planting techniques and timing was designed over centuries of trial and error to produce the most stable and reliable yield possible under the circumstances... " Typically, the peasant seeks to avoid the failure "that will ruin him rather than attempting a big but risky killing", and this he largely achieves by cultivating a carefully chosen diversity of crops and crop varieties, whose exact composition he is well capable of adapting whenever necessary to changing environmental requirements. 9 Biological diversity and food security are intimately linked. Communities everywhere have derived livelihoods from natural diversity in wild and domesticated forms. Diversity is the basis of ecological stability. Recent studies show that diverse ecological communities are more resilient to drought and other environmental disturbances which cause the population of individual species to fluctuate widely from year to year. Species within an ecological community are interconnected in an intricate web of mutualistic as well as competitive interactions, of checks and balances that contribute to the survival of the whole. This has important implications for in situ conservation, particularly at a time when an estimated 50,000 species will go extinct every year over the next decades. 10 Dr. Mae-Wan-Ho says: Agricultural biotechnology cannot alleviate the existing food crisis. On the contrary, it is inherently unsustainable, hazardous to biodiversity, human and animal health. A drastic change of direction is required to support conservation and sustainable development of indigenous agricultural biodiversity, which both satisfies the stated aims of the Biodiversity Convention and guarantees long term food security for all. 11 Vandana Shiva also believes that biodiversity produces more than Genetic Modification. Diversity has been destroyed in agriculture on the assumption that it is associated with low productivity. This is however, a false assumption both at the level of individual crops as well as at the level of farming systems. Diverse native varieties are often as high yielding or more high yielding than industrially bred varieties. In addition, diversity in farming system has higher output at the total systems level than one-dimensional monocultures. Comparative yields of native and Green Revolution varieties in farmers fields have been assessed by Navdanya, a National Seed Conservation Programme. Green Revolution varieties are not higher yielding under the conditions of low capital availability and fragile ecosystems. Farmers varieties are not intrinsically low yielding and Green Revolution varieties or industrial varieties are not intrinsically high yielding. 12
Natural Farming Natural farming, also known as Do-nothing farming or No-till farming was popularized by Masanobu Fukuoka, starting in the 1940s in Japan. The most essential aspect of natural farming is to let nature play a dominant role to the maximum extent possible. Hence, no-till, farm biodiversity, integration and symbiotic farm components and protection of soil cover all have a place in this method of farming. The seed ball technique for sowing has also been given importance by Fukuoka. The immense importance placed on no-tillage has led to natural farming also being referred to as No-till farming. The term 'Do Nothing Farming' originated because the farmer is considered only to be a facilitator - the real work is done by Nature herself. Hence, while there is lots to think about and do in natural farming, actual physical work and labour has actually been seen to reduce by upto 80% compared to other agricultural systems. In Japan, Fukuoka achieved yields similar to those of chemical agriculture. His methods have also been adopted to suit European conditions and put into practice there. In India, Fukuoka is fondly-regarded and his work has found a number of practitioners who have termed their method of farming 'rishi kheti' literally meaning agriculture of the sages. 13 There is a silent and constructive revolution happening in Punjab to save the environment, regenerate ecological resources, bring back soil productivity and re establish ecological balance in the farms. This is the natural farming movement of Kheti Virasat Mission (KVM), a civil society action group headquartered in the Jaitu town of Faridkot district. The movement is led by experienced farmers who believe in Guru Nanak's tenet of Sarbat da bhala (well being of all)," says Amarjeet Sharma, a farmer from Chaina village, district Faridkot who heads the village level Vatavaran Panchayat. Vatavaran Panchayats are local-level community institutions working as decentralised participatory civil society initiatives. 14 Although economists and agricultural scientists argue that natural fertilizers cannot replace chemical fertilizers, it is working for the 1,214 ha under natural farming in Punjab, claims the Kheti Virasat Mission, which is working with Palekar to promote natural farming in the state. And unlike organic farming, natural farming does not use artificially synthesized microbial culture like vermicomposting. Instead it promotes a fermented mix of cow dung and cow urine. Microorganisms developed during fermentation attract earthworms which work on the soil, leaving it puffy, soft and aerated. 15 Natural farming method, a zero budget agricultural practice, will not only ensure better yield and scale down production costs to nil, but also protect land, water and air from pollution and offer tasty, quality and chemical residue-free food. Above all, it will help farmers overcome their persisting financial crisis, according to Subhash Palekar, natural farming expert. 16 Mr. Palekar was inaugurating a three-day workshop on "Philosophy and technology of zero-budget natural farming" organised by the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) and "Hasiru Sene". Mr. Palekar said green revolution has resulted in the exploitation of farmers by forcing them to opt for hybrid varieties, use chemical fertilizers and spraying pesticides. The multinational companies are able to exploit farmers because they are still hesitant to opt for alternative methods of farming. It is time farmers opted for natural farming, because it was now proved that green revolution is detrimental to them. Rejecting chemical fertilizers, hybrid varieties of seeds and pesticides and using cow-dung and "ganjala" (urine of cattle) and spraying of neem oil, will not only help farmers to increase the fertility of soil, but also helps them get good yield. Farmers can fight MNCs only by rejecting their products, he noted. "It is important to exploit the agriculture land through natural course, not through artificial methods," he said. 17
The State of Food and
Agriculture Report 2003-2004 states that aim of the modern breeders
is the same as that of early farmers-to produce superior crops or
animals.
Conventional breeding, relying on the application of classic genetic principles based on the phenotype or physical characteristics of the organism concerned, has been very successful in introducing desirable traits into crop cultivars or livestock breeds from domesticated or wild relatives or mutants. In a conventional cross, whereby each parent donates half the genetic make-up of the progeny, undesirable traits may be passed on along with the desirable ones, and these undesirable traits may then have to be eliminated through successive generations of breeding. With each generation, the progeny must be tested for its growth characteristics as well as its nutritional and processing traits. Many generations may be required before the desired combination of traits is found, and time lags may be very long, especially for perennial crops such as trees and some species of livestock. Such phenotype-based selection is thus a slow, demanding process and is expensive in terms of both time and money. Biotechnology can make the application of conventional breeding methods more efficient. 19 However it is different and much more reliable method of Genetic improvement. (Please also see Chapter I Basics of Genetic Modification) GM is a way behind other breeding Methods In March 2007, the South African authorities gave Monsanto permission to conduct GM drought-tolerant maize field trials in South Africa. The African Centre for Biosafety released a report on the issue, pointing out that drought tolerance GM maize is at least 8-10 years away from commercial release, and points out that traditional breeding, marker assisted selection, and building up organic content of the soil are proven and immediately available methods of dealing with drought. Nevertheless GM drought-tolerant crops are being used as PR tools by biotech lobbyists to promote acceptance of GM crops, to expand existing markets and develop new markets. 20 Principle of Organic Farming in plant breeding: Judging the suitability of plant breeding methods is based on the principles of organic farming. Organic farming is not merely the avoidance of chemical fertilisers, pesticides and GMOs. It takes the living soil as a basis and uses methods which stimulate (agro) ecological processes, without exhausting natural resources. Being founded on the integrity and intrinsic value of living entities like the soil, plants, animals and human beings, organic farming respects the environment, farm ecology and the complexity of nature. This attitude of respect prevents farmers from taking actions that affect a plant's reproductive potential and impede the sustainable use of cultivars. Thus, the concept of organic plant breeding as formulated by the European key players reads as follows: "The aim of organic plant breeding is to develop plants which enhance the potential of organic farming and bio-diversity. Organic plant breeding is a holistic approach that respects natural crossing barriers and is based on fertile plants that can establish a viable relationship with the living soil." 21
System of Rice Intensification (SRI) Many ecological principles that are still being overlooked, underestimated or sidelined, deserve more attention as they provide relatively cheap, controllable and low external input solutions to many problems that farmers face. The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is an example of the many roads to sustainable agriculture that are hardly explored. Moreover, these approaches are not accompanied by the many risks - both economic and ecological. 22 23
1
Genetic engineering: not the only option by David Ehrenfield,
LEISA, 01/12/2001
[ C.eldoc1/g74a/01dec01LEISA1.pdf]
2
Andhra Pradesh State Policy on Organic Farming [C.eldoc1/k33_/KICS1_080505zzz1B.pdf]
http://www.csa-india.org/downloads/AP_ORGANIC_FARMING.pdf
3
Experts pitch for organic farming by R Akhileshwari, The
Deccan Herald Bangalore, 17/02/2007 [ C.eldoc1/k33_/17feb07dch1.pdf]
4
Plants protecting other plants An alternative to pest-resistant
GM crops by Luis Gomero Osorio, LEISA, 01/12/2001 [ C.eldoc1/g74a/01dec01LEISA7.pdf]
5 The Push-Pull systema viable alternative to Bt maize by
Flemming Nielsen, LEISA, 01/12/2001 [ C.eldoc1/g74a/01dec01LEISA5.pdf]
6
Intercropping Principles And Production Practices,
Appropreate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA), By Preston
Sullivan, NCAT Agriculture Specialist, Edited by Paul Williams,
Formatted by Gail Hardy, Updated August 2003 [C. eldoc1/k33_/intercropping-principles.pdf] http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/intercrop.pdf
7
How
to feed people under a regime of climate change
by Edward Goldsmith, The Ecologist magazine, October 2003
[C.eldoc1/k60_/01oct03eca1.html]
8
In
troubled waters by M Suchitraand P N Venugopal.
Down to earth, 15/12/2005 [C.eldoc1/k30_/15dec05dte1.pdf]
9
How
to feed people under a regime of climate change
by Edward Goldsmith, The Ecologist magazine, October 2003
[C. eldoc1/k60_/01oct03eca1.html]
10
Perils Amid Promises of Genetically Modified Foods by Dr.
Mae-Wan Ho, Financial Agriculture, 01/07/2001 [ C.eldoc1/g74a/01jul01fia1.pdf]
11
Perils Amid Promises of Genetically Modified Foods by Dr.
Mae-Wan Ho, Financial Agriculture, 01/07/2001 [ C.eldoc1/g74a/01jul01fia1.pdf]
12
Manufacturing the Illusion of Groth, this chaptor is taken
from report G74a(21) by Vandana Shiva, Research Foundation for
Scienc, 01/01/1999 [
C.eldoc1/KICS/manufacturing_the_Illusion.pdf]
13
Natural Farming, Satvic Farming, 27 May 2008 [C.eldoc1/k33_/natural-farming.html] http://www.satavic.org/fukuoka.htm
14
Natural farmers of Punjab by Umendra Dutt. India Together, 01
November 2007
[ C.eldoc1/k33_/01nov07-india-together2.html]
15 Punjab's Spiritual Farming by Savvy Soumya Misra, Down to
Earth Magazine, 30 November 2007 [C.eldoc1/k33_/30nov07dte10.html]
16
Adopt natural farming methods, farmers urged, The Hindu,
25/09/2007 [C.eldoc1/k33_/adopt-natural-farming-methods.html]
18
Genetic Modification Is A Simple Extension Of Conventional
Breeding, By Syamal Krishna Ghosh, Chitore Kr. Guha
Sarkar, Monsanto.co.uk, 09/04/2001
http://www.monsanto.co.uk/news/ukshowlib.phtml?uid=4930
C.eldoc1/g74a/KICS1_010409zzz1B.html
19
The State of Agriculture Report 2003-2004, Chapter 2 What is
agricultural biotechnology?, Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO), 2004 [R.G74a.F2]
20
Non-GM Breakthroughs Leave GM Behind, Institute of Science In
Society, 22/02/2008
[C.eldoc1/g74a/27feb08isis.html]
21
Stimulating GMO-free breeding for organic agriculture: a view
from Europe by Edith Lammerts van Bueren and Aart Osma, LEISA,
01/12/2001 [ C.eldoc1/g74a/01dec01LEISA4.pdf]
22
Genetic engineering: not the only option by David Ehrenfield,
LEISA, 01/12/2001
[ C.eldoc1/g74a/01dec01LEISA1.pdf]
23
The System of Rice Intensification, Agro-ecological
opportunities for Small farmers? By Norman Uphoff, 01/12/2001, [CED
Acc No. R.G74a.29] (This article is taken from the LEISA Magazine.
Please ask for copy to KICS or CED) |
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