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Saturday, November 24, 2007

[vinnomot] On GMOs + BIO-FUELs + Trade & Investment + Social Sector + US Presidential Polls

NEWS Bulletin from Indian Society For Sustainable Agriculture And Rural Development
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On GMOs----
1. Disclose bio-safety data of GM crops: CIC
 
On BIO-FUELS----
2. EU says `Yes' but London says `No' to bio-fuels - 'Biofuels don't reduce CO2 to desired levels'
3. Tata Chem joins ICRISAT's sorghum ethanol project
 
On TRADE & INVESTMENT---
4. London offers better return on investments, finds survey
5. MMTC gets wheat supply offer at up to $488 a tonne 
6. Plan to import pulses yet to gather steam
7. Additional bonus for paddy gets Cabinet nod
 
On SOCIAL SECTOR---
8. India's employment rate for disabled falling: World Bank
 
US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION----
9. INTERVIEW : REVEREND JESSE JACKSON - 'Next US president will have to unravel in many ways'
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Disclose bio-safety data of GM crops: CIC
 
 
ASHOK B SHARMA
Posted online: Friday , November 23, 2007 at 1808 hrs IST
 
New Delhi, November 23: Bringing to an end the controversy over the disclosure of bio-safety data on genetically modified (GM) food crops, the Central Information Commission (CIC) on Thursday directed the department to make the data for Bt brinjal public.
 
The CIC set aside the seed company, Mahyco's argument before the Commission that the disclosure of such data has significant commercial implications to the company.
 
The CIC bench headed by its chairman, Wajahat Habibullah said ; "any further grounds for non-disclosure are invalid even if the information is in the process of development". It directed the CPIO and the department of biotechnology (DBT) to provide the information within 10 working days. The appeal was filed by Divya Raghunandan of Greenpeace India on February 23, 2006 asking the toxicity, allergenicity and other relevant data for GM brinjal, rice, okra and mustard.
 
In its impleadment petition to the CIC, the seed company, Mahyco had claimed that the public disclosure of anything beyond the summaries of the bio-safety data for brinjal would affect the competitive interests of the company. The bio-safety data is generated completely by the company either in its own labs or in other private labs.
 
The commission has set a precedent across the world where bio-safety data of a yet to be commercialized transgenic crop has to be made public.
 
The DBT had claimed during the hearing that it has not generated relevant data on these crops as yet, despite the fact that it has been sanctioning open-air field trials of the GM crops for past three years, said Raghunandan
 
Taking cognizance of the willful delay by the DBT in the disclosure of the information, interpreted by the commission as non-compliance of its previous order in April this year, and thereby, causing loss of time and effort to the appellant, the CIC offered a financial compensation for the appellant, Divya Raghunandan of Greenpeace.
 
In his reaction to this verdict, Shekhar Singh of the National campaign for people's Right to Information said, "this is a very important decision because it has positive implications not only on making public the data regarding GMOs but also sets a precedent that all information regarding public health and safety should be made available under the Riight to Information (RTI) Act."
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EU says `Yes' but London says `No' to bio-fuels
 
'Biofuels don't reduce CO2 to desired levels'
 
 
ASHOK B SHARMA
Posted online: Friday , November 23, 2007 at 0059 hrs IST
 
New Delhi, Nov 22 While the European Union has set its target of meeting   its needs of transportation fuel to the extent of 10% through bio-fuels by 2020, London thinks differently.
 
The mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, who was in Delhi on Tuesday, is of the view that bio-fuels do not reduce the carbon dioxide emission to the levels desired. London has prepared its own Climate Change Action Plan to deal with the intention of reducing 60% of the city's emission by 2025, he said.
 
According to the action plan, London is to promote low-carbon vehicles with hybrid fuel system which cut transport emissions by up to 4 to 5 million tonne .''Carbon dioxide emission from road transport would fall by as much as 30% if people simply bought the most fuel efficient car in each class,'' the action plan said.
 
Livingstone has sought Delhi's partnership in exchange of ideas in making life in both the cities more clean and green. He has initiated the Large Cities Climate Leadership Group - C40 - bringing together 40 of the world's largest cities to develop, procure and adopt low-carbons solutions showing best practices among cities. The C40 partners with Bill Clinton Foundation and the Climate Change Initiative.
 
London's example of refusing to use bio-fuels in transportation and resorting to other option is relevant in context when India has proposed to launch a massive bio-fuel programme and its use as auto-fuel.
 
Leading scientists like David Pimentel of Cornell University, Tad Patzek of University of California, Florian Siegert, managing director, Remote Sensing Solutions GmbH , Munich, Mario Giampietro of Institute of Environmental Sciences, Barcelona and Helmut Haberl of Klagenfurt University, Austria have questioned the very basis of the contention of the IPCC report that bio-fuel programme causes a reduction in carbon dioxide emission.
 
Explaining the action plan, the senior adviser to the London mayor in climate change and sustainable transport, Mark Watts said : ''Global experiences suggest that bio-fuels do not reduce the carbon dioxide emissions to the extent desired. We in London have, therefore, launched a programme to convert the entire 8,000-bus fleet to diesel-electric hybrid vehicles. We expect entire conversion of our bus fleet by 2012.''
 
When asked to comment about Delhi's CNG-run buss fleet, Watts said : ''Emissions are not reduced to the desired extent.''
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Tata Chem joins ICRISAT's sorghum ethanol project
 
 
ASHOK B SHARMA
Posted online: Wednesday, November 21, 2007 at 2003 hrs IST
 
New Delhi, November 21: Tata Chemicals has joined ICRISAT's sweet sorghum ethanol research project by signing a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA).
 
The International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) director-general William D Dar and the managing director of Tata Chemicals Ltd (TCL) Homi R Khusrokhan signed the MOA in Hyderabad.
 
According to Dar this partnership will go a long way in enhancing the commercialization of sweet sorghum for bioethanol production. Production of ethanol from sweet sorghum as a biofuel can provide additional income to dryland farmers and does not compromise their food security.
 
Through the ICRISAT Sweet Sorghum Ethanol Research Consortium (SSERC), the Institute promotes the technology for producing the biofuel through public-private partnership.
 
TCL is today a leading manufacturer of inorganic chemicals, fertilizers and food additives. The company has an annual turnover of about $ 1.5 billion and is part of the $ 28.8 billion Tata Group, India's foremost business conglomerate. Recently TCL has entered biofuels production and is setting up a plant in Nanded, Maharashtra, for manufacture of bioethanol from sweet sorghum.
 
Through the MoA, TCL can now avail the sweet sorghum research outputs of ICRISAT. This includes supply of seeds of sweet sorghum varieties and hybrids along with technical know-how on sweet sorghum cultivation aspects.
 
Khusrokhan said that he was very happy that TCL had joined the consortium and was very impressed by the wonderful developmental work done by ICRISAT all around the world. It is envisaged that there is a huge global opportunity for all partners to work together to benefit millions of farmers by offering new market opportunities through this new venture, he said.
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London offers better return on investments, finds survey
 
 
ASHOK B SHARMA
Posted online: Wednesday, November 21, 2007 at 0022 hrs IST
 
New Delhi, Nov 20 Six out of ten Indian and US Companies surveyed in London believe the city offers the best return on investment (ROI) for expanding into the global marketplace, according to research commissioned by Think London, the inward investment agency for London.
 
Indian Companies grow fastest in London than in any other European city, according to consultants Penn Schoen & Berland, authors of the research report.
 
The report identifies three key factors as being most important to US and Indian businesses when expanding into Europe, with London playing a significant role—Companies generate a better ROI in London than anywhere else in Europe; Indian and US Companies grow faster in London; and London is the best location to offer the softer factors such as corporate social responsibility and environmental best practice.
 
Michael Charlton, chief executive of Think London said "US and Indian businesses are the top two sources of new FDI projects into London. This research demonstrates that these Companies investing in a London presence do indeed get a better return when compared to other European locations."
 
The survey took place to coincide with a visit to India by Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London. He is spending a week in the country with a high-level delegation, to strengthen relationships between London and India in business, tourism, academia, creative industries like Bollywood.
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MMTC gets wheat supply offer at up to $488 a tonne
 
 
ASHOK B SHARMA
Posted online: Monday , November 19, 2007 at 2337 hrs IST
 
New Delhi, Nov 19 Seven global bidders have offered to supply 1.06 million tonne wheat to India in the price range of $387-488 a tonne.
 
Public sector MMTC had floated a global tender on November 12 for importing 350,000 tonne wheat. "We are surprised to receive an overwhelming response to the tender," said a MMTC official after the bids were opened on Monday. The bids are slated to be finalised on November 24.
 
The seven exporters in the fray are Cargill, AWB, Glencore, Toefpfer, Ameropa, Concordia and Riaz Trading. "The bid of Starcom was rejected as it lacked proper documentation while Australian firm AWB is entering for the first time this year," said the official.
 
Riaz offered the highest price at $488 a tonne while Cargill offered to supply 65,000 wheat at the lowest price of $397.03 a tonne at Mundra port. However, Glencore offered to supply the highest quantity of wheat (325,000 tonne) at Mundra port at $407 a tonne.
 
According to the tender, imports should be completed by February 10, 2008 through eight ports — Mundra, Kakinada, Kandla, Chennai, Vishakhapatnam, Tuticorin, Cochin and Mumbai. Among the price range quoted by individual bidders, the price for delivery at Mundra port is the lowest.
 
The government had given permission to three public sector trading houses — MMTC, PEC and the State Trading Corporation of India (STC) — to import 1 million tonne wheat. Monday's bids showed that MMTC alone could attract an offer of over 1 million tonne.
 
PEC and STC are expected to follow with import tenders of their own after the MMTC bids are finalised on November 24. Shipments are expected to be tied up for the period between December, 2007 and March 2008.
 
Already 1.3 million tonne wheat has been contracted for imports in response to the last two tenders floated by STC.
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Plan to import pulses yet to gather steam
 
 
ASHOK B SHARMA
Posted online: Thursday , November 22, 2007 at 0021 hrs IST
 
New Delhi, Nov 21 Government's plan to import pulses has proceeded at a slow pace. Three public sector agencies, namely. PEC, MMTC, State Trading Corporation of India (STC) and the marketing cooperative, Nafed could contract an import of only 1,188,550 tonne, since April, this year.
 
Of the contracted quantity of 1,188,500 tonne pluses only 721,163 tonne have been actually imported by the middle of this month, according to official sources.
 
Government had liberalised the import of pulses by scaling down the effective duty to zero with a view to augment its supply and contain the rising trend in prices.
 
Accroding to the break up of imports, PEC contracted an import of 357,300 tonne out of which only 133,976 have been imported. MMTC contracted an import of 256,250 tonne, out of which only 198,200 tonne have been imported. Nafed contracted an import of 260,000 tonne, of which 174,694 tonne have been imported and STC contracted an import of 315,000 tonne, out of which only 214,293 tonne have been imported.
 
Yellow peas lead in terms of quantity contracted for imports being 840,000 tonne, while other pulses including urad (black gram), moong (green gram), tur, chick peas, red lentils, masoor, dunpeas together constitute 348,550 tonne.
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Additional bonus for paddy gets Cabinet nod
 
 
ASHOK B SHARMA
Posted online: Friday , November 16, 2007 at 0006 hrs IST
 
New Delhi , Nov 15 The government has decided to raise the effective minimum support price (MSP) for common variety paddy to Rs 745 a quintal and that of grade A variety paddy to Rs 775 a quintal.
 
In May, the government, on the basis of the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), fixed the MSP for common variety paddy at Rs 645 a quintal and grade A variety paddy at Rs 675 a quintal. Subsequently in October, after the MSP for wheat was raised to Rs 1000 a quintal, the government decided to raise the MSPs for both the varieties of paddy by rendering a bonus price of Rs 50 a quintal on procurement.
 
However, this increase in paddy MSPs could not satisfy the farmers in major rice growing states, who alleged a large gap between the MSPs of wheat and paddy.
 
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), which met on Thursday, decided to give an addition incentive bonus price of Rs 50 a quintal on both the varieties of paddy, thereby, raising the effective MSP for common variety paddy to Rs 745 a quintal and A variety to Rs 775 a quintal. The marketing season for paddy has already begun from October.
 
The Union Cabinet also gave its approval for ratification of International Tropical Timber Agreement (ITTA) 2006. As India is a member of ITTO, the ITTA, 2006 would help in country's contribution to the global trade in tropical timber and will generate goodwill to the country and enhance its status on the world forestry map under the aegis of this UN organisation, an official press release said.
 
Taking note of the warning issued by the India Meteorological Department about the possibility of a cyclonic storm on the eastern coast, the Union Cabinet called for surveillance and preparedness.
 
The CCEA gave approval to a Rs 1817.10-crore Artificial Recharge of Ground Water through Dugwell Scheme in hard rock areas. The inclusive central subsidy amount for this scheme is earmarked at Rs 1499.27 crore
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India's employment rate for disabled falling: World Bank
 
 
ASHOK B SHARMA
Posted online: Tuesday , November 20, 2007 at 2318 hrs IST
 
New Delhi, Nov 20 They are referred to as the 'children of a lesser God', but they can be as productive as anyone else. All that these 40-90 million disabled people in India require is better education and access to jobs, which has eluded them till now. "Low literacy and employment rates and widespread social stigma are leaving disabled people behind", says a new World Bank report, People with Disabilities in India: From Commitments to Outcomes.
 
In the midst of galloping economic growth, "disabled adults have far lower employment rates than the general population - and this fell from 43% in 1991 to 38% in 2002," says the report, which was prepared by the Bank at the request of the government. A decade after a legislation came into force for promoting the rights of full economic and social participation in society to persons with disabilities, the progress has not reached near the desired level.
 
Maintaining that it is not desirable or possible for the public sector to "do it all", the report finds the private sector wanting in this regard. "Private sector employment incentives for hiring disabled people are few and piecemeal," it says. In the late 1990s, employment of people with disability among large private firms was only 0.3% of their workforce. Among multinational Companies, the situation is far worse, with only 0.05% being people with disability.
 
As far as the states are concerned, despite approval of a national policy in 2006, only two states, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka, have draft disability policies. "India has an impressive set of policy commitments to its citizens with disabilities. The challenge facing Indian society now is to translate those commitments into better lives for disabled people", said World Bank country director for India, Isabel Guerrero, in a release on Tuesday.
 
Noting that India's implementation capacity is "generally weak in a number of areas of service delivery, which are most critical to improving the situation of disabled people," the report calls for involvement of non-public sectors as also greater coordination between both public and private institutions.
 
The key step in such partnerships is bringing disabled people themselves into the policymaking process along with public and non-governmental institutions, it adds.
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INTERVIEW : REVEREND JESSE JACKSON
 
'Next US president will have to unravel in many ways'
 
 
Posted online: Monday , November 19, 2007 at 2321 hrs IST
 
Reverend Jesse Jackson, Baptist minister, leading civil rights activist and a former presidential candidate, is slated to deliver the annual Nehru Memorial Lecture today. Soon after landing in India, he held forth on a wide range of issues. Here he is in conversation with (The Finanacial Express, India) FE.
 
Q. Who are you supporting in the presidential polls next year? What are the most important issues?
 
Both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are doing very well. However I am not campaigning for either, though Obama is a neighbour. I do think Hillary is running a magnificent race. Her great strength has been in building relationships.
 
However whoever wins will have to unravel in a lot of ways, both for within the country as well as in relations with other countries. They will have to re-engage with Iran and Syria, promote democracy in Pakistan. The elections need more focus on issues like the current sub-prime lending crisis and corruption in banking, poverty and the state of emergency among young black males in the US. The country is gearing up to welcome a new president but there is not enough discussion on these and other crucial issues. There is a fair degree of tension in the air.
 
Q. Will having the first African-American or woman president be a significant step for the US? Did your presidential campaigns help in paving the way?
 
The campaigns, Iran in 1984 and 1988 , showed that it could be done. However the US is actually way behind many other democracies which have had women leading their nations. The Clinton campaign instead should be looked at more from the point of view of a constitutional expert who could help enormously.
 
Q. Are there efforts to check the 'gun culture' in the US?
 
There is no doubt that the US is the most violent nation. The Bush administration has allowed the open sale of semi-automatic weapons, and in unlimited numbers. We do want to bring back legislation which will check this. We went to Iraq seeking weapons of mass destruction, but these arms have created a similar situation in our country itself.
 
Q. How do you reconcile Gandhi's non-violence with a nuclear India?
 
Gandhi, and leaders like Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela, advocated the path of non-violence and stressed on soul force. We think that weapons, nuclear weapons are a sign of strength. That's not correct. I have a basic fear of nuclear weapons and support denuclearisation. However on the issue of the Indo-US nuclear deal and the impasse, I feel the deal is in the best interests of both countries.
 
Q. How do you perceive the Emergency in Pakistan?
 
Suspension of democracy and civil rights is never positive. I would urge Musharraf to go back to the negotiating table and free all the jailed civil rights activists at once. I have requested the Pakistani authorities to arrange a meeting with Musharraf. The US has invested in the Musharraf regime and should use its leverage to restore democracy and order in Pakistan. With each passing day, their confidence is eroding. And yes, after Iraq, US' moral authority has gone down.
 
Q. Are Indians taking a more prominent role in the US?
 
Indians are playing a much more prominent role than ever before in American society, especially second and third generation ones who are making confident strides in sectors like information technology.
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