I have been influenced lately by Dr Vandhana Shiva’s Anti-globalization rhetoric. I came across ‘Mustard Oil ban in India’, while reading her ‘Stolen Harvest: Hijacking of the global food supply’ book. As the book just mentioned the incident without going into much detail, I ventured to do a little digging of my own.
India banned the sale of mustard oil in 1998 after deaths due to dropsy [contamination in the oil from argemone]. About 50+ people died and more than 2000 fell ill in Delhi. Read the clip here from down to earth, one of India’s leading environmental magazines.
India banned both loose and packed mustard oil and a month later raised the ban on PACKED mustard oil.
What was the impact of the ban, or a better question would be “Who won and who lost? “
Winners:
US agribusiness Corporation Monsanto who made money on the free GE Soybean imports
Entry of ITC into the mustard business in India
Losers:
Small mustard farmers
The domestic mustard oil industry
Indian Mustard oil consumers
The timing of the contamination has sparked of a conspiracy theory involving the multinationals. Click here for ‘The mustard oil conspiracy ‘by Vandana Shiva in the ecologist magazine. A must read to understand the incident full circle. The article did make me feel [and actually is the case] that the rich & powerful economies do treat developing economies as sink to the products [i.e GE soybeans] that nobody wants!
Finally, a piece if trivia, who do you think could possibly own the patent for mustard?
Hmmm…the answer is ‘Calgene’! Ooh..Not who you had in mind!
Yes, Calgene, owned by Mansanto, owns the patent for mustard. Unbelievable…believe it!
Also read this article from India Together on India’s edible oil imports and the WTO.
India banned the sale of mustard oil in 1998 after deaths due to dropsy [contamination in the oil from argemone]. About 50+ people died and more than 2000 fell ill in Delhi. Read the clip here from down to earth, one of India’s leading environmental magazines.
India banned both loose and packed mustard oil and a month later raised the ban on PACKED mustard oil.
What was the impact of the ban, or a better question would be “Who won and who lost? “
Winners:
Losers:
The timing of the contamination has sparked of a conspiracy theory involving the multinationals. Click here for ‘The mustard oil conspiracy ‘by Vandana Shiva in the ecologist magazine. A must read to understand the incident full circle. The article did make me feel [and actually is the case] that the rich & powerful economies do treat developing economies as sink to the products [i.e GE soybeans] that nobody wants!
Finally, a piece if trivia, who do you think could possibly own the patent for mustard?
Hmmm…the answer is ‘Calgene’! Ooh..Not who you had in mind!
Yes, Calgene, owned by Mansanto, owns the patent for mustard. Unbelievable…believe it!
Also read this article from India Together on India’s edible oil imports and the WTO.
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Cold Pressed Black Mustard Oil 1000 ml
Cold Pressed Black Mustard Oil 1000 ml
Cold Pressed Black Mustard Oil 1000 ml
Cold Pressed Black Mustard Oil 1000 ml
Cold Pressed Black Mustard Oil 1000 ml
Cold Pressed Black Mustard Oil 1000 ml
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