Vandana Shiva, Director, Navdanya, said Bt Cotton was directly responsible for farmer's suicides all over the world and the current situation in Punjab proves that the chemical pesticides, genetically modified organism were not an efficient solution to control pests.
She said chemical pesticides have made the problem worse by have giving rise to new pesticide resistant super pests.
"The government should learn from this disaster and actively promote ecological methods of farming which make the crops and soil more resilient to climate and pests," she said.
She also said the widespread use of pesticides is leading to rise in cancer in Punjab. “Cancer deaths and farmers suicide are both a result of dependence on poisons, which are not working. Ecological pest control through biodiversity is the only sustainable solution.” (SH)
The wide scale destruction of cotton crop in Punjab and Haryana due to whitefly attack has sparked a debate on whether Bt cotton is suitable for#
ALCHEMPro News Desk – India
marketing@alchempro.com
