As stories started to spill and theories began to formulate a few readers asked if I’d contribute to challenging Monsanto. I humbly refrained because the debate seemed so lopsided. All material on all things Monsanto and Nepal and USAID were heavily tilted to one side. Every single article, comment on the Facebook group and the recently organized protest itself were set against Monsanto. Monsanto, or rather its bridge to Nepal, USAID, on the other hand had not so much as bleeped in response.
It was like a battle against no one, perhaps one that can be likened to a tactic popular during the American Civil Rights movement. African-Americans taught each other how to fold into the fetal position—covering the basics (head, heart, privates) while they were attacked. The main point was to protect yourself without fighting back, which would only lead to escalation of the violence and would quickly exhaust you. This was taught because eventually the attacker would tire. He or she would be exhausted from beating a non-contending young sap and would eventually just stop.
Watching all things related to Monsanto and USAID unfold in Nepal I couldn´t help but wonder if this was not the approach the development agency had assumed. And perhaps they can’t be blamed. When the overwhelming majority of the country you are in to develop (don’t forget now, sixty years and counting) speak up against you it can be a little intimidating to adjust your tie and explain yourself.
You would think that after an entire Facebook page is created to challenge the Monsanto seeds from being planted in Chitwan, Nawalparasi and Kavre, USAID would have a response—not even an apology, just an explanation as to why they claimed the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MoAC) and USAID had signed an agreement to partner with Monsanto. Whether that is the Nepali government shying away just as USAID is, is not altogether unrelated.
But why the pin-drop silence, as if the whole fiasco was a non-issue, as if the objection of the Nepali people didn’t matter? According to Jill Ettinger at OrganicAuthority.com The Kathmandu Post was diverted to the organization’s FAQ page and was told they’d be contacted shortly when asked about the supposed signed agreement. It makes even those of us, who aren’t necessarily well-versed enough on the seed and USAID’s objective, those of us who just want to hear both sides of the story, start to wonder if the development agency isn’t just crossing it’s fingers and hoping the problem will go away. Are they waiting for the people to tire like the attackers beating the African Americans?
When the facts clearly point to how harmful Monsanto is for farmers, why is USAID silent?
Even the endless opinion pieces published haven’t persuaded USAID (though this also begs the question as to why leading papers, Republica included, did not push for investigative journalism). The recent protest of the 250 young people (both Nepalis and foreigners, if skin tones are anything to go by these days) too failed to elicit a press release.
All of this has me thinking: what will it take to get USAID to respond to the Nepali people? I have faith in peace building and development agencies, having been employed by them before, and I dare say to an otherwise harsh Nepali community there are plenty of people inside that genuinely want to do good. And, these are the very people who may care to respond.
A response is necessary because the people of Nepal deserve an explanation as to why the idea of Monsanto in Nepal is being entertained so that the develop-er and the develop-ee together can dismiss rumors and/or consider alternatives. In any case, this isn’t the first time Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) have made their way into our so-called Shangri La.
Just in 2009 subsidized GMO seeds were brought to Nepal. Six months later when the crops were ready for harvesting the husk was present but corn absent—that’s not very helpful if your livelihood depends on farming, as is the case for a large section of Nepalis. Of course it must also be said that when Nepal harvested the corn-less “corn” Monsanto was just one of six companies that provided the seeds to the Nepali government so there is no actual proof that the seeds that failed to harvest were entirely Monsanto.
However, even omitting “Nepal” from you Monsanto Google search will still yield endless articles, documentaries and testimonies. All it takes is five minutes online to see India had the same problem as Nepal did in 2009, but only one year prior. But why is that that when the facts and tales the world over point to how harmful Monsanto is for farmers and farming that USAID today continues to keep mum on the matter?
In 2009 the corn-less corn was devastating for the Tarai. Many from the region traveled to Kathmandu and protested in front of Singha Durbar for weeks but to no avail. While it’s a shame we Kathmandu-ites (with our blogs, columns, Twitter accounts, Facebook pages and the lot) did not join hands with them then it seems USAID has once again decided to fold its arms and turn the other way.
Subsidized seeds are something the farmers of Nepal and other developing countries will never protest, but to shy from admitting a miscalculation of such proportions, to fail to apologize and to deny the people an explanation falls somewhere between rude and wrong, especially for the USAID, the aid “from the American people”. The American people, the few of them I do know, are the first to accept their mistake, to say sorry and to offer explanation so that the mistake isn’t repeated.
So, how about it USAID? Say something, willya? Either tell us that Monsanto seed products will indeed not create havoc in Nepal, that farmers will not be forced into dependency, that soil will not be corrupt and that instead nutritious foods, increased yield and food security will be achieved, or explain where it’s gone wrong so we can all move on.
sradda.thapa@gmail.com
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