#dr. prit paul singh

[sidewalkchemistry]

Most of India's cotton is grown in the Punjab region, which has quickly become the largest user of pesticides in India. Dr. Prit Paul Singh has been studying the effects of these chemicals on human health. And his reports show dramatic rise in the number of birth defects, cancers, and mental illness here in the region.

[Dr. Singh:] You can go in every village, you will see that hundreds of patients are suffering with cancers; 70 to 80 kids, in every village, you will find them facing severe mental retardation and physical handicaps...And poor people, farmers, laborers, and small farmers have maxed their labor means, so they can't afford treatment. Ultimately, they have accepted the death of their kids...

[Vandana Shiva:] The companies that make the GM [genetically modified] seeds and make the chemicals are the same companies. And they're also the same companies that make the medicine, which they're not patenting. So, you get cancer, there are more profits. For them, it's a win-win-win-win-win. As for nature and people, it's a lose-lose-lose-lose-lose.

- The True Cost - The Truth of the Clothing Industry