Back to the thiram thing, it seems that most (all?) online sources that denounce the use of thiram in Haiti use exactly the same paragraph. Copied and pasted. They either have no source, or they use one from 1993 - which predates the current EPA document by eleven years.
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Originally Posted by Saya
We can easily see a repeat [of making seed saving illegal] in Haiti.
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Source?
As the Haiti seeds are a donation, the same contracts don't necessarily apply as from a business agreement. A Monsanto rep actually says essentially that. It's a donation and there will be no legal action against seed saving.
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Originally Posted by Mica Veihman, Monsanto Public Affairs
It is a donation. That means farmers have no obligation to Monsanto. Yes, they can save the seeds. No, we would not sue them.
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Source.
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Originally Posted by Saya
Monsanto and like minded companies are being blamed for forcing Indian farmers into debt, which is the big reason why so many Indian farmers kill themselves.
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Source?
Content from some of the links on Monsanto's website:
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Originally Posted by Guardian, 2008
Suicides among Indian farmers have not increased as a result of the introduction of GM crops, according to a large scientific study.
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The finding runs counter to arguments often cited by NGOs in the country such as Gene Campaign that oppose GM crops.
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But the new analysis suggests that if anything, suicides among farmers have been decreasing since the introduction of GM cotton by Monsanto in 2002.
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It also found that the adoption of pest-resistant Bt cotton varieties had led to massive increases in yield and a 40% decrease in pesticide use.
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Source.
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Originally Posted by International Food Policy Research Institute, 2008
Suicides in general, including farmers’ suicides, are a sad and complex phenomenon.
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We first show that there is no evidence in available data of a “resurgence” of farmer suicides in India in the last five years. Second, we find that Bt cotton technology has been very effective overall in India. However, the context in which Bt cotton was introduced has generated disappointing results in some particular districts and seasons. Third, our analysis clearly shows that Bt cotton is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for the occurrence of farmer suicides. In contrast, many other factors have likely played a prominent role. Nevertheless, in specific regions and years, where Bt cotton may have indirectly contributed to farmer indebtedness, leading to suicides, its failure was mainly the result of the context or environment in which it was planted.
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Source.