Opening Up the South

8/10/2019 Opening Up the South

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OPENING UP THESOUTHBy: Helena Paul and Ricarda Steinbrecher

Reporter:

Andrew John B. FernandezM.A. Anthropology

University of San Carlos


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INTRODUCTION

To properly understand the means one mustfirst understand the end. A farmer whodoesnt borrow money and plants his ownseed is difficult to control because he feedhimself and his neighbors.


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Capturing new constituences and markets is

an essential part of corporate strategies. Themillions of small subsistence farmers in theSouth who rely on farm-saved seed and donot use agrochemicals are seen as a largelyuntapped market with massive potential.


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Critics have often noted that GeneticallyModified (GM) agriculture does not addressthe real needs of the South and thecompanies recognise that they need to adapttheir presentations accordingly, in order tofind ways to reach this importantconstituency.


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Major Players of GM crops

Monsato Pioneer

DuPont


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PROCESSES TO PENETRATE SOUTH

To influence the governments and institutions(such as universities and extension services) ofcountries in the global South, so that theirfunding activities can support the priorities ofthe corporations.


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Two Syngenta Foundations: Syngenta Foundation Novartis Foundation

Monsanto Fund: a non profit arms can helpto broker and fund project with universitiesand research institutions in both North and

South.


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Farmers may have no money to purchase

company products: micro credit systemschemes can help here, by providing loans,collecting debts and helping to link the

farmers into industrial agriculture works.


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The credit schemes can be linked to the use of

GM technology, so there is a potential captivemarket.

About Monsantos strategy, World Bankcommented explicitly that many of thesetransactions were designed specifically helpthe company move more rapidly intoemerging markets.


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The World Bank and the World Trade

Organisation, backed by the U.S. governmentin particular, are promoting the drive towardsthe harmonisation of laws that facilitate theactivities of the corporations, such asintellectual property rights or investment andbiosafety regimes.


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Disasters whether floods, droughts or

famines provide an opportunity to unloadsubsidised U.S. agricultural produce onstricken countries. This destroy local markets,weakening local economies and underminingself reliance.


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The importance of reaching women is a

recurring theme. Monsanto promises that itstechnologies will benefit women in developingcountries, because they will need to do lessweeding and spraying. Increased productivitywill provide women with surpluses to sell andimprove their quality of life.


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Credit schemes have also targeted women,

who have been shown to be reliable payers oftheir debs, even though interest is often set athigh levels.

The corporations wish to ensure they controlthe technologies they introduce, usinggrowers contracts where appropriate patentlegislation is not yet in place.


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Several corporations have been continuing

with the development and introduction oftechnologies to control the germination ofseeds or the expression of traits.


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Agricultural Research andDevelopment

The international agricultural research centersare part of this development and were centralto spreading green revolution technologiesand high bred crop varieties in the South,thus eliminating local systems of farmerinnovation, varieties, and knowledge in many

regions.


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Private expenditure tends to be less farm -

focused and more focused on machinery,post-harvest research, food and foodprocessing. This is also a strong focus onchemicals, as most herbicides and insecticideshave been developed by the private sector.


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Agricultural research itself is becoming

increasingly removed from and irrelevant tothose closest to the soil, those who are stillworking as farm breeders, continuing toinnovate as they have always done,developing and maintaining living knowledgeand seed stock on which we all depend andwhich we risk losing at our peril.


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Promoting Technology to Farmers

Privatisation of Rural extension work systemsprovides companies with a perfectopportunity to promote their products tofarmers, who thus become familiar with theirbrands and may begin to trust them. It isdifficult for farmers who have once adopted

new seeds and inputs to return to their formermethods, and farmer varieties quicklydisappear if the are not maintained.


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Trial seeds or pesticides may be issued free atfirst to attract farmers. Credit may be offeredon condition that farmers use certainproducts. Companies may work with localcredit facilities to tie in their packages with

credit given.


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Slick Presentation by the Companies

Shiny packaging Promoted with videos

Helps to convince farmers that the companieshave superior knowledge especially when theconfidence of farmers in their own knowledgeand calling has been outdated and they havebeen made to feel outdated and out of touch.(herbeicide/Glyphosate)


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Syngenta and IRMA: BT Maize forAfrica

The Kenya project, involves working on maizedgenetically engineered to resist the attacks ofthe corn borer by expressing a version ofbacterial BT Toxin.

The project aims to introduce insect-resistantmaize and avoid the problem of rapiddevelopment of resistance BT toxin amongmaize pests by designing appropriate refuges.


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There are non-GM methods combating thecorn-borer which Syngenta does not fund.These include growing napier grass around thefield to attract the pest away from the cropand intercropping Desmodium with the maize

to repel it.


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Micro Credit Agencies

Micro Credit is commonly defined as theextension of small loans entrepreneurs,especially women, too poor to qualify fortraditional bank loans.

The schemes are praised by the North as theway forward to alleviate poverty, those

affected by micro-credits do not always agree. It is seen as the solution for poverty.


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Monsanto and the Grameen Bankin Bangladesh

The micro-credit scheme linked to theGrameen Monsanto centre will create marketsfor Monsantos products, no the productsbased on the creativity of Bangladeshpeasants. They will not build on the skills andknowledge and resources which women of

Bangladesh have; they will wipe out theirknowledge and resources and destroy theirlivelihoods and food security.

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Opening Up the South