This new report by Greenpeace assesses the impact of government policies on soil health across five states of India and warns that indiscriminate chemical fertilizer usage, catalyzed by a lenient subsidy policy is posing a threat to country's soil health.
It has been shocking to see the immense pressure that has been developing from various quarters to reduce the NO GO forest zones to allow coal mining. MoEF has been succumbing to the pressure from the various ministries and drastically reducing the areas demarcated as NO GO zones.
In this second version of the Safe Food Guide, Greenpeace reassesses the scenario in India with respect to the use of genetically modified organisms, consumer attitudes towards GMOs and behaviour of popular food brands. In 2010, in consumer opinion poll conducted by GfK Mode, over half of the citizens questioned in India (53%) said they would reject food containing GMOs.
Greenpeace is offering this guide because Greenpeace believe that you have the Right to Know what you are eating. While over 40 countries including Europe, Australia, New Zealand, China or Japan have opted for mandatory standards, the Indian Government is beating around the bush and not ensuring that labelling of foods containing GMOs is mandatory.
The chemical and synthetic fertilizers, particularly Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium (NPK), are highly subsidized. The amount of subsidy on this has grown exponentially during the last three decades from a mere Rs. 60 crore during 1976-77 to an astronomical Rs. 40,338 crore during 2007-08. In 2008-09, it shot up to Rs 96,606 crores.
This recent report on GM foods released by Greenpeace provides the perspective on citizens' views on GM foods. 87% of people have said that they have the right to information related to GM foods, before the decisions on GM/ GE foods are made.
As eight states have said no to Union government's plan to approve Bt Brinjal, this timely booklet by Greenpeace details its impacts on environment & health and opposes the commercial release of this GM Crop.
Indian Medical Association (IMA) and the medical fraternity raised concern over the discovery of high levels of nitrate contamination of drinking water based on a Greenpeace study.
