Bees for Development Journal 63
GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) and GM crops have been debated in BfD 54 (March 2000) and BfD 59 (June 2001). Here are some more sources of information concentration in corporate power: the unmentioned agenda
Globalisation Inc
—
A report published by Action Group on
possible with this concentration of ownership and if such consolidation might not put world food security at risk.
Erosion, Technology and Concentration, Canada www.etcgroup.org identifies that a
The December 2001 issue of LEISA contains ten contributions that focus on Genetic
single company Pharmacia/Monsanto is responsible for 94% of GM crops sown. 98%
Engineering: not the only option. Published by ILEIA (Centre for Information on Low
are grown in Argentina, Canada and the USA, with four principal crops: canola, cotton, maize and soybeans. The major GM benefit is
External Input and Sustainable Agriculture, The Netherlands), the magazine is also available in Spanish. There is an interactive website at www. ileia.org. The issue arrived
herbicide tolerance (75% of total GM crops grown) with Bt engineering the only other GM technology in wide use. Other highlights of this report are that ten seed firms control one third of the world’s commercial seed market with
ten agrochemical corporations controlling 84% of the world’s agrochemical market. The report
questions if effective world monitoring is
ERYBOOY~
careFulir!
LUSTER were’s THE PLAN...WE ALL PRETEND To BE HARMLESS FOR A FEW YEARS, AND THEN WHEN THEY RELEASE US
with the December 2001 Biotechnology and Development Monitor (The Network University,
The Netherlands) which included eight additional GM articles including one on Monsanto: rewriting the script plus two on Bt, one on maize in Kenya and the other on Bt cotton in South Africa.
Source: LEISA Magazine, December 2001
Letter to Bees for Development Traqi beekeepers are trying their best In spite of all the difficulties facing the Iraqi Beekeepers we are still determined to work hard for our bees and utilise any drop of nectar available to overcome the unjustified sanctions imposed on our country and to help our people who are facing hunger. Honey is well regarded as a medicine used by children and sick people.
We currently face many circumstances that put honeybee populations in real danger: Unfortunately Varroa mites have built up resistance against pyrethroids. This is a problem because of the difficulty of getting alternatives treatments. *
The drought which the country has endured
in recent years and the lowering of the waiter level
in the main rivers of Iraq as a consequence of dam building on these rivers outside our frontiers.
The increased numbers of natural enemies increases the burden of protecting colonies. *
The UN sanctions have reduced the possibility for people to have money to buy honey at a reasonable price, and this has led a lot of beekeepers to give up their careers and to have no interest in rebuilding their lost apiaries.
The Iraqi Beekeepers’ Association is gathering hundreds of beekeepers towards one goal of improving the hygiene and performance of their colonies. We would welcome any sharing of comprehension from beekeepers around the world on a personal or association level.
Dr Dhafer Behnam lraqi Beekeepers’ Association, dhbehnam@uruklink.net
ANTENNAE UP Your opinions are important to Bees for Development. Letters will be published only with your permission. Our contact details are given on page 2. A Bees for Development publication
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