India's Farmers Oppose Monsanto's Hidden Terminator Seed Experiments
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India Farmers Oppose Monsanto Seed Experiment
Thursday November 19 2:21 PM ET
[Science Headlines -- Excerpted]
[India's farmers] threatened to protest against U.S. biotechnology
giant Monsanto Co (NYSE:MTC - news) if it did not make public the
details of ``terminator gene'' experiments it is conducting in the country.
The terminator gene refers to a new technology patented by a Monsanto
subsidiary. The gene switches off the reproductive cycle of a plant
after a generation leaving farmers to buy new seeds to sow a fresh crop.
``Monsanto should immediately announce the list of locations where they are
conducting experiments involving the terminator gene seed,''
M.D. Nanjundaswamy, President of Karnataka State Farmers' Association
(KSFA), told a news conference in the southern Indian city.
``Otherwise we will resort to direct democratic action,'' he said.
``They should make these centers known so we can go and inspect the sites
and assess the impact of the experiments,'' he said.
KSFA said it opposed the introduction of these seeds in the country as it
could damage farmers' interests and threaten the country's food security.