Sunday 18 December 2011

Monsanto-Discussion with the US Ambassador Scott DeLsi

 I wrote in 9 December 2011 in response to the US Ambassador to Nepal, Scott H. DeLisi facebook post dated 2 Dec on the Monsanto titled "Setting the record straight on hybrid seeds" at https://www.facebook.com/notes/scott-h-delisi/setting-the-record-straight-on-hybrid-seeds/184148695011816
Your Excellency,
Namaste! We, Nepalese people are very grateful to you for your outstanding cooperation, friendliness, being very supportive towards our youth and people and making us and our people (leaders, politicians, political parties' cadres) aware about the democratic norms and rules to be followed.
I know it is not wise to post on other people's wall and especially yours being an ambassador of US I shouldn't dare to do so. However, I'm worried about our tiny beautiful country nature, farmers and people so I dare to post below on your wall. Apology for that!
Your Excellency, it would be highly appreciable if you could support in one more thing by considering deeply from your mind, body and spirit WHY we, Nepalese who loves our Nature and Farmers DON'T want MONSANTO in Nepal. Would highly appreciate if you could thoughtfully think, feel and act and understand this and don't force our government for the vested interest of US company. Please! Please! Please! I beg you! Thank you for your kind cooperation and consideration!
Monsanto Declared Worst Company of 2011 | Natural Society
Biotech giant Monsanto has been declared the Worst Company of 2011 by NaturalSociety for threatening both human health and the environment. The leader in genetically modified seeds and crops, Monsanto is currently responsible for 90 percent of the genetically engineered seed on the United States market. Outside of GM seeds, Monsanto is also the creator of the best-selling herbicide Roundup, which has spawned over 120 million hectacres of herbicide-resistant superweeds while damaging much of the soil. Despite hard evidence warning against the amplified usage of genetically modified crops, biopesticides, and herbicides, Monsanto continues to disregard all warning signs.
In a powerful review of 19 studies analysing the dangers of GMO crops such as corn and soybeans, researchers revealed some shocking information regarding the safety of these popular food staples. Researchers found that consumption of GMO corn or soybeans may lead to significant organ disruptions in rats and mice – particularly in the liver and kidneys. This is particularly concerning due to the fact that 93 percent of U.S. soybeans are known to be genetically modified. Ignoring this evidence, Monsanto continues to expand their genetic manipulation.
Monsanto’s Genetic Manipulation of Nature
Outside of genetically modifying crops, Monsanto has also created genetically modified crops containing Bt. Bt is a toxin incorporated in GMO crops that are intended to kill different insects, however Bt usage has subsequently spawned insect populations which are resistant to the biopesticide. After being exposed to Bt, many insect populations actually mutated to resist the biopesticide. So far at least 8 insect populations have developed resistance, with 2 populations resistant to Bt sprays and at least 6 species resistant to Bt crops as a whole. Farmers are therefore forced to use even more pesticides to combat the resistant bugs.
What is the answer to this problem, according to Monsanto? To further genetically modify the Bt crop to make it a super-pesticide, killing the resistant insects.
Tests, however, have concluded that further modified Bt toxin crop provided ‘little or no advantage’ in tackling the insects, despite extensive time and funding put into the research. It seems that Monsanto’s solution to everything is to further modify it into oblivion, even in the face of evidence proving this method to be highly inefficient. The research shows that this will undoubtedly lead to insects that are resistant to the most potent forms of Bt and other modified toxins, resulting in the use of even more excessive amounts of pesticides in order to combat pests.
Then the student of environmental science from TU, Sundar Layalu writes like this on the wall of US Ambassador then I don't have anything to say. "Nepal urgently needs a solution to address the problem of Food Insecurity and related hunger and, in my opinion Monsanto , however, with several evil consequences is a short term solution, no matter the research finding, declaration or any other premises and arguments. I am not speaking on behalf of any faction but still supports monsanto involvement in nepalese agriculture sector. I would like to ask the protestors , agitating from the face book, have you ever tried (even thought) about people suffering with hunger in Karnali and Khotang? Yes , there are challenges of welcoming monsanto but not serious challenge then hunger and related conflict. And more, the nature of science is always evolving, with several errors."
Then again on the same day I posted on the wall of US Ambassor to response Sundar Layalu: Sundar ji, I'm a public health professional and nature lover I'm not protesting but just worry about its consequences that will bring to us and our country. But you as an environmental science student favour of Monsanto then I don't have anything to say. If US government and You can guaranteed that there will be no starvation, health problems and illnesses like Cancer-obesity, diabetes, environment/nature/soil will not be degradable and our famers will not suffer and no food insecurity then I wouldn't advocate against it. Please GUARANTEED these this then let's welcome MANSANTO. It might be worth watching this video "A great documentary exposing the evil agricultural nightmare called Monsanto and the story of Roundup and Roundup Ready Soybeans. A 2004 documentary film which makes an in-depth investigation into unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have quietly made their way onto grocery stores in the United States for the past decade. It voices the opinions of farmers in disagreement with the food industry and details the impacts on their lives and livelihoods from this new technology, and shines a light on the market and political forces that are changing what we eat. The film decries the cost of a globalized food industry on human lives around the world, and highlights how international companies are gradually driving farmers off the land in many countries. Potential global dependence of the human race on a limited number of global food corporations is discussed, as is the increased risk of ecological disasters -- such as the Irish Potato Famine (1845--1849) -- resulting from the reduction of biological diversity due to the promotion of corporate sponsored monoculture farming. The issue of incorporating a terminator gene into plant seeds is questioned, with concern being expressed about the potential for a widespread catastrophe affecting the food supply, should such a gene contaminate other plants in the wild. Legal stories reported by the film related how a number of farmers in North America have been sued by Monsanto; and the defendant of the Monsanto Canada Inc. v. Schmeiser case is interviewed" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYO2k_o16E0&feature=share
Couldn't stop myself then again I posted: Sundar ji as far as I know in Nepal even in the Karnali region and Khotang our people are not dying because of hunger like in Somalia and other African region. With little technological improvement in our agriculture system food production can be significiantly increased in Nepal. Hunta you are right there is one saying in Nepal "Heeree ra marnu bhanda chheeree ra marnu janti" if people in Karnali region and Khotang are dying because of hunger if you think then it is better to bring Monsanto in Nepal. It is good for us, health professionals because we'll get more job and research opportunities for people with cancer, diabetes and other health related problems. http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fnaturalsociety.com%2Fhungary-destroys-all-monsanto-gmo-corn-fields%2F&h=3AQG3Z2LaAQEVwkH_gTmmhMmyKYjl8ZxNeOQ5ZY-0C6SGFw
Mr. DeLisi response to me: "Laxmi Tamang I appreciate your comments and read through them. I don't mind in the least that you disagree with me on the issues related to hybrid seed etc. Unfortunately, your posting did not permit me to comment, however, or otherwise respond even though it was posted on my page, thus it was removed. My point remains, however, that I am not the one you need to debate these issues with -- I am not an expert on these issues and do not claim to be. More to the point, however, the discussion of Nepal's agricultural future needs to be shared by and between Nepalis who must determine the nation's course. Your points should be part of that discussion."


Then again I responded to him in this way:
Thank you very much your Excellency for your kind response to my posting about Monsanto. Apologise for your inconvenience it was my misunderstanding because as per your last comments concerning welcoming Nepalese views I posted it. I didn't realise that it was inappropriate but anyway appreciated for your concern. Now any how Monsanto is going to introduce in Nepal. Appreciated for imposing Monsanto in Nepal. It means that our people will not die due to hunger, starvation and food shortage which is happening now in our country. It also means that there will be more food production in Nepal so that we can sell to our two gigantic neighbouring countries so that we can be economically sound and also more employment will be created. In the past our farmers in the eastern region and western region already became the victim of hybrid seeds of corns and rice hopefully, it will not happen again. Also, hopefully, they don't have to commit suicide because of Monsanto and hybrid seeds in the near future. Once again thank you so much for your great worry about the food insecurity of Nepali people and thoughtful action towards it.

Then he responded my comment like this: “Keep posting, Laxmi. I DO welcome posts on my wall but sometimes I also have to limit a few. I think that the issues not just Monsanto and I also believe there are many misinformed comments on the subject. That is not the conversation I want to have ominate this page.”

2 comments:

  1. Laxmi Ji Thanks for sharing. At first , in a humble way, I am not standing for the MONSANTO and will never, though i do admire GMOs. I will study more on this regard and will write you. Here, at Yale some of my friends are going to have Monsanto discussion, I will share your views to them,

    Bests,

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  2. Appreciated Sundar ji your concerned though am very late in getting back to you. I'm a nature lover so I don't like artificial things which can ruin our nature, people and environments. Just for a time being as a fantasy it is good to have artificial things but in the long run it is not going to offer any benefits for health and environment. Though I'm not an activist but would like to voice against harmful things for both human health and the nature which have been proven by the evidnences.

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