Kashish Das Shrestha is a Nepal-born, New York-based photographer and writer who alternates between covering fashion shows and Maoist rebels, celebrities and refugees. In recent e-mail exchanges he alerted me to a building protest effort in Nepal following an announcement in September by the United States Agency for International Development that it was teaming up with Monsanto and Nepali agricultural agencies to promote the benefits of high-yielding hybrid corn varieties and to train Nepali farmers how to grow such crops.

He has written an article describing how anti-Monsanto sentiment built, prompting Nepal’s new leadership to push back:

Back in Kathmandu, things have become confusing since. An anti-Monsanto campaign has slowly gained momentum in the local press , the capital, and online, culminating in a silent protest near the U.S. embassy [on Nov. 25]. And the USAID and the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives are in an awkward standoff.

“Policies must be shaped in our national interest. We will not allow anyone to work unchecked,” Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, who had been in office for only about a month and was unaware of this particular case, told me in New York later that month.

Das Threstha noted that Monsanto and all manner of hybrid seeds from that and other companies are well established in the country. He also observed that farmers did not seem to be represented among the young Katmandu protestors:

There’s more on Facebook that’s worth exploring. On Friday, the United States ambassador to Nepal, Scott H. DeLisi, posted a Facebook note that describes in detail the merits of hybrid maize and attempts to clear up some of the misunderstanding about what’s going on.

I encourage you to read the entire note, given that the issues explored by DeLisi are relevant around the world, and given the reality that a mix of technologies and techniques is going to be required in most places to satisfy growing human populations and appetites without consuming ever more land needed either for wildlife or human settlements.

Here are excerpts from his post, with a link to the rest:

There has been considerable discussion of late about U.S. agricultural development strategy in Nepal, Monsanto, and hybrid seeds. I’d like to set the record straight. Before addressing the specifics, however, I would like to highlight our strongly held belief that the critical discussion is not about the role of a single company but about the future of agricultural development in Nepal. If anything, the recent debates about Monsanto have led me to believe that what is truly needed is a carefully considered, fact-based policy dialogue among agriculturalists, agronomists, government officials and all other stakeholders on the best course for this nation, as a food-deficit country, when it comes to addressing the fundamental issues of food security and improved livelihoods for farmers across the nation….

[W]hile looking at seed technology to enhance agricultural productivity is important, it is only a small component of our food security partnership with the government. We are supporting organic production, working with farmers on irrigation techniques, better nursery programs for seedlings, and better insect control. We are, for example, working with farmers in the mid-hills on diversification of crop production to show them that instead of making 5,000 rupees from a half hectare of maize in monsoon season they can generate 130,000 rupees from best-practice irrigated vegetable farming during the same period. My request and my intent is to keep our discussion focused on what makes sense for Nepal’s development, for farmers’ livelihoods, for the economy and for the future and to not let it be diverted by those for whom focusing on a single company is more important than addressing Nepal’s food security concerns or long-term agricultural development strategies.

With that in mind, let me try to frame as clearly as possible the focus of our efforts as well as the reasons we’re puzzled by some of the issues being raised. First, I have urged before, and I emphasize again, the importance of being clear about the true issues we are discussing. Yesterday there was yet another op-ed that spoke about “GMO” maize. I am not aware of any GMO maize being grown in Nepal not has it been approved by the government, nor are there any proposals on the part of USAID or anyone else that I know to introduce it. This careless use of terminology only clouds the issues. There are very important differences between hybrids and GMO seeds and, although there can and should be dialogue about both, we need to be clear about what we are talking about.

I have also seen many Facebook posts and press statements that talk about “stopping” the introduction of hybrid maize into Nepal. There was another such statement today. These statements puzzle me, however, as they seem to ignore the current realities in agriculture here in Nepal. The Government of Nepal began researching the use of hybrid seed varieties in 1987 and today, approximately 75% of tomatoes, cauliflower, and many other vegetables in Nepal are grown from hybrid seed. The Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC) has also approved sixteen maize hybrids for sale in Nepal. Many of the approved varieties come from Monsanto, and four of them have been sold commercially here since 2004….

Several American and Indian companies sell the approved hybrid seed varieties in Nepal in response to the current – and increasing – market demand for them. There are also discussions of Nepali companies either developing their own hybrid lines or acquiring rights from companies like Monsanto for the parental lines of currently used hybrids. As noted earlier, however, I believe that those who want to focus the discussion to either a single company, or to the commercial hybrid seed providers in general, miss the key concern. What is important is that decision makers and stakeholders bring the focus of the debate back to the core question: the appropriate role of hybrids as part of a comprehensive strategy for Nepal’s agricultural development. To single out Monsanto, or any other company, serves no useful purpose in this discussion and distracts from the critical issues to be addressed.

The simple fact is that Nepal’s agricultural productivity across the board is low – very low. Meanwhile, the population is growing, while the amount of arable land is at best static but may be decreasing due to urbanization. This imbalance puts the food security of the entire nation in jeopardy. Malnutrition and under nutrition remain serious problems, undermining the health and affecting the future of Nepali children. In my view, these are issues that must be discussed soberly and carefully. These are the issues we want to work with the people and the government to address….

Although I believe there are many related issues that warrant discussion by and among Nepalis as you shape your agricultural future, I again urge that, as you do so, you seek to separate fact from fiction. Hear ALL sides of the discussion and recognize that there are many views and competing considerations. For example, there are those who repeatedly posit as absolute fact that the maize crop failures in 2009 were due to hybrid seeds. There are experts, however, including in the Government of Nepal, who will tell you that the problem was a weather-related issue (extreme cold) that affected OPV maize as well as hybrid.

Other opponents of hybrid seeds argue that hybrids encourage dependence and are part of a new form of economic imperialism by the developed world. I disagree, but at the end of the day what I believe is not important. Nepalis must make that decision for themselves. I urge, however, that you listen not just to the foes but that you give just as much consideration to the voice of the farmer who argues that greater productivity and increased incomes stemming from hybrid use can improve his life and the future of his children while transforming agriculture in Nepal.

The bottom line? Let facts, not conjecture, emotion or misinformation, inform this important debate. [Read the full post here.]