THE GMO SCARPBOOK: INDIA CUTS ROYALTIES, MON(STER)SANTO THREATENS TO ...

Yesterday I blogged about a report that allegedly was circulating in the Kremlin regarding GMOs, vaccinations, and the general state of the West's "food" sup;ly and "nutrition." In that blog, I raised again an idea that I have been advancing for some years regarding "GMO geopolitics," i.e., the idea that the BRICSA bloc, if it was smart, would seek to transform the GMO debate and issue into a gepolitical issue, ie. an issue of the exercise of soft power. To do this, I've been maintaining that it could carefully position itself on the side of those who are increasingly raising concerns about the safety of such products. Yesterday, it will be recalled, Russia apparently has now expanded this to encompass the link between autism and the slew of vaccinations that big pharma increasingly presses in the West, and in some cases, successfully lobbies for mandatory vaccination rules.

It seems in this respect that things are also heating up on the GMO issue in India, where there has been a rising concern and political opposition to GMOs, according to this article that manyhave shared:

Monsanto threatens to quit Indian GM-cotton market if govt cuts its royalties

Here's the crux of the matter:

American agrochemical giant Monsanto has threatened to pull out of India and hold back new genetically modified cotton technologies if the government continues its “arbitrary and potentially destructive” interventions that seek to cut the company’s royalty fees.

Last year the Indian government issued an order to control cotton seed prices effective from the 2016-17 crop year. In a ruling, the antitrust regulator, Competition Commission of India, accused the GMO giant of potentially abusing its dominant position on the market. The Agriculture Ministry set up a special committee tasked with implementing brackets for seed price along with royalty fees, after the completion of an investigation into the matter. (Emphasis added)

Noting that GMO cotton account for some 90% of India's cotton argiculture, the article is really pointing out that that the agribuness giant Mon(ster)santo is in potential violation of the government's anti-trust regulations, and the Indian government has decided to cut the firm's royalties, which, of course, affect its bottom line:

However the new government commission is keen to reduce the price of the crop after local seeds companies filed complaints that MMB was charging high fees to sub-license BT cotton seed technology since 2002. The government is reportedly planning to reduce the royalties of its genetically modified cotton seeds by 70 percent.

This has resulted in the predictable threat from I.G. Farbensanto that it will have to "reevaluate its position" in the country, i.e., withdraw from the market.

That, I suspect, is the result that the Indian government's policy is designed to achieve, and it's here that we might indulge in a bit of high octane speculation: this approach - rather than a head-on confrontation over the viability and safety of GMOs - might become the playbook for nations that have seen their family farmers gutted by big American "agribusiness," countries like Brazil and Argentina, for example, and not just India. Take a larger share of royalties for the government. And, if one were really Machiavellian, use those proceeds to promote non-GMO farming, effectively making Mon(ster)santo "pay the opposition", so to speak.

Any way one slices it, the news from India is bad enough for "agribusiness," and it has been a long time in coming. But if this is a manifestation of my "GMO geopolitics" idea, then it is only the first step in what may be a policy that is eventually expanded to other agricultural products in India. India is one to watch, and if this "GMO geopolitics" idea is true, then one should watch South Africa, Brazil, and BRICSA want-to-be, Argentina, closely.

See you on the flip side...

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Joseph P. Farrell

Joseph P. Farrell has a doctorate in patristics from the University of Oxford, and pursues research in physics, alternative history and science, and "strange stuff". His book The Giza DeathStar, for which the Giza Community is named, was published in the spring of 2002, and was his first venture into "alternative history and science".

9 Comments

  1. Robert Barricklow on March 15, 2016 at 9:10 pm

    India should respond,
    Please, don’t break your promise to quit.
    And don’t let the door hit your…



  2. Nathan on March 15, 2016 at 8:42 pm

    Good for India , it’s about time they did something , especially after all of the suicides by farmers becouse of this evil entity I wish it would of been sooner but at least it’s a start , time will tell where this goes



  3. goshawks on March 15, 2016 at 8:31 pm

    You can always tell the consciousness-level of a corporation (the management suite) by what they do when in a monopoly situation. Higher consciousness types don’t exploit the ‘host’, knowing ‘we are one’ or ‘we are in this together’. Lower consciousness types immediately go for the jugular, because there are only predator and prey…

    I suspect Indian politicians are finally reacting to the massive suicides of farmers, due to Monsatan pricing policies. Whether this is heart-felt or forced-from-below, we will probably never know. Regardless, this is a clever move.

    Speaking of BRICSA, I wonder if Russia has made India an offer for all the non-GMO cotton it can produce (grin)…



  4. WalkingDead on March 15, 2016 at 6:10 pm

    Those wasskally Indians have come up with the most sure fire method of ridding themselves of Monstersanto; hit them where it hurts the most, in their pockets. Let’s see if they can bribe and coerce their way out of this without it costing them plenty.
    Of course, there is always the “forced regime change” card, followed by the destruction of the countries infrastructure; and then the privatization of everything left.



  5. DownunderET on March 15, 2016 at 4:14 pm

    India is part of BRICSA, so they do talk with each other, and if any of the members get wind of foul play, then naturally it spreads. Monstersanto is now in a lot of countries cross hairs, and down the track this mega corporation might just have run out of steam, and I say bring it on.



  6. Pellevoisin on March 15, 2016 at 3:14 pm

    I suppose Monsatan prefers the posture of the indignant child threatening to take his toys home rather than simply being booted out of the country.

    I suspect, Dr. Farrell, you are correct with the notion of India choosing this course with the hope that Monsatan will simply ‘go home’.

    I shall watch with great interest to see what BRICSA does with regard to Russia’s advancing position against GMOs and vaccines.



  7. Aridzonan_13 on March 15, 2016 at 11:07 am

    Why aren’t these people in jail?



  8. Yogi Greg on March 15, 2016 at 7:08 am

    After talking with a former Monsatan published researcher–who left–I came to understand that the products will drive illness as they create huge profits–and then they can be “turned up a notch” when the CABAL’s Order to Depop comes down, as telegraphed in the Walking Dead series… Sad, isn’t it?



    • marcos toledo on March 15, 2016 at 9:55 am

      Yogi the Depop meme is also part of The Expanse series on SyFy as well. We mustn’t forget Maize and Potatoes in the Americas they are the hit list to be destroyed as well as Rice. As our elites go over the cliff they’re taking the rest of us to HELL with them. India as told Big Agribusiness to kiss their ass and go to hell long overdue.



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