Vandana Shiva debates CS Prakash in 2000 on Bt cotton for India

Описание: Dr. Channa Prakash of Tuskegee University, USA in year 2000 was invited by Indian TV Doordarshan channel to debate the introduction of Bt cotton in India with anti-GMO activist Dr. Vandana Shiva on its Crossfire program. Vandana argued against the introduction of this genetically engineered version of cotton in India. Pro-Science argument won over Indian government which introduced GMO cotton in India in 2002. Now in 2017, thanks to Bt cotton, India has become the top producer of cotton in the globe, and has turned into a cotton exporter instead of cotton importer that it was in 2000. Nearly 95% of India's 6 million small farmers plant Bt cotton - which has doubled the cotton yield from 300 kg to 600 kg per ha now, and most importantly has cut down the use of pesticides in Indian cotton farms by 70%! Indian cotton farmers can now choose from over 1300 Bt cotton hybrids from among 65 seed companies and even a few from the public sector. NONE of the dire doomsday predictions have come true! Sadly despite the overwhelming success of Bt cotton, India has not permitted commercialization of any other GM crop like Bt brinjal or GM mustard, because of the relentless continued attack on the GM technology by anti-development activists like Vandana Shiva.