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Not only weeds are beating Monsanto and biotech warfare. A small, thin, gray moth is creating havoc in the
cotton fields of lndia: its larva, a caterpillar- called the pink bollworm for its pink banding - eats the plant. To fight
this cotton pest, a gene from a bacteria was introduced in the cotton so the 'Bt plant' produces a toxin that should
killthe insect. When GM cotton seeds were introduced to the lndian market 15 years ago, the seed companies
said that farmers would not have to spray any insecticides and that they would get great yields. Today, because
of the very same GM seeds, use of insecticide and fertilizer has increased fivefold and eaten into farmers'
incomes. Resistance to the poison could not occur, according to the creators of the GM plants. Nature thought
otherwise. A huge outbreak of Bt resistant bollworm has now seriously damaged the crops of many
farmers. Desperate fa.rryers apply-highly toxic pesticides to fiqht the pesJ. sernetimes with lethal effects.
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Dr. K.R. Kranthi, former director of C6ntral ln-sIitlte of Cotton Research (C|CR), reflortedlhat pink bollworm has
developed resistanceto Btcotton (Bollgard-llvariety)not only in Maharashtra, but in othercotton-growing states
as well. Bollgard-ll was introduced in 2010. 'There are only two benefits of Bt cotton. One, it controls bollworm,
due to which the yield is protected. Two, it reduces use of insecticides meant for bollworm control. Currently,
cotton growers do not get either benefit,' said Dr. Kranthi,

Veteran farmer leader Pasha Patelsays: 'For Maharashtra's colton growers, it's like a nightwithout dawn.'
Another GM technology is failing. Follow the latest developments on GMWatch website and twitter.

NGO Justice Pesticides

One of the results of the Monsanto Tribunal was the creation of the NGO Justice Pesticides in July 2017. lt
aims at making legal data on pesticides cases from all around the world available to all, regardless of
people's status or nationality: neighbors, farmers, local authorities and communities, scientists... Victims of
pesticides are, of course, first on that list. The organization is presided by Corinne Lepage. lt counts members of
the MT organization committee, and people from all continents who have faced the consequences of pesticides
on health, natural resources. or their activities. The goal of Justice Pesticides is to create a huge collaborative
network to pool pesticide-related legal action data from everywhere in the world. This way, legal and
scientific information will foster future lawsuits. Eventually, Justice Pesticides aims for banning pesticides which
are threatening human health and the environment.

You can help Justice Pesticides by sharing the legal information you know of via the online form.

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News from the witnesses

o The Grataloup Family

Sabine Grataloup was the first person to testify during the Monsanto Tribunal hearings in October 2016. She
described the birth defects her son Theo is suffering from, after she was exposed to a glyphosate-based
herbicide during the beginning of her pregnancy. Meeting other witnesses in similar situations motivated Theo's
parents to go one step further. Together with William Bourdon (Monsanto Tribunal's lawyer who plead on the
freedom indispensable to scientific research), Sabine and Thomas Grataloup have announced their intention
to start a legal action against several glyphosate-based herbicides manufacturers, including Monsanto.
They want the justice system to recognize a causal link between those products and Theo's issues. They are
now investigating the different legal options to do so, and are getting ready for a difficult, yet necessary legal
battle. Click here to know more.

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