Latest news with #Monsanto
Fibre2Fashion
13-06-2025
- Business
- Fibre2Fashion
Apurva Kothari No Nasties
At No Nasties, sustainability is built into every stitch, seam, and shipment When Apurva Kothari left his Silicon Valley consulting job, he was not chasing trends—he was answering a moral call. Moved by reports of farmer suicides in India, particularly among cotton growers trapped in cycles of debt and chemical dependency, he founded No Nasties in 2011—India's first Fairtrade-certified, 100 per cent organic clothing brand. What began as a personal response to an agrarian crisis has since evolved into a pioneering force in ethical fashion. Built on direct partnerships with small-scale farmers in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, No Nasties ensures fair wages, promotes organic farming, and champions carbon-negative practices. With a focus on transparency, vegan principles, and a real-time tree-planting tracker—now crossing 234,000 trees—the brand is reshaping how fashion can intersect with climate responsibility and consumer trust. In this conversation with Fibre2Fashion, Kothari shares the journey of No Nasties, the realities of building clean fashion in India, and how saying 'no' to fast fashion can become a radical, regenerative act. Sustainable fashion is often criticised for being accessible only to a niche audience. What do you think is holding back large-scale adoption of conscious fashion in markets like India? Clean fashion is expensive—and that is the problem. It takes time to grow organic cotton. Yields are lower, the process is slower, and there are no chemical shortcuts. That drives up costs—but also protects the soil, the farmer, and the future. I started No Nasties in 2011 after learning about farmer suicides in Vidarbha. The root cause? Bt cotton—GMO seeds pushed by Monsanto and backed by the government. They promised big yields but delivered debt and despair. Over a decade later, our organic farmers are finally earning fair prices. That is the good news. The hard truth? Fast fashion is still winning. It is cheap, easy, and everywhere. In a country with a rising middle class and growing consumer appetite, ethics often lose to affordability. Until we stop treating clothes as disposable, sustainable fashion will remain niche. We do not need more stuff—we need better stuff. Made well. Worn longer. Valued more. There is growing conversation around greenwashing in the fashion industry. How can consumers truly differentiate between genuinely sustainable brands and those just using sustainability as a marketing tool? Ask better questions. We do it when buying a car, a phone, or even groceries. Why not clothes? Where was it made? Who made it? Who paid the real price for that ₹199 tee? What river did the dye destroy? Greenwashing thrives on apathy. Brands can only fool the people who are not looking closely. If you care where your money goes, make it ask for answers. Certifications like GOTS, Fairtrade, and OEKO-TEX are increasingly common. But do you think the industry relies too much on third-party validation instead of direct accountability? Certifications like GOTS, Fairtrade, and OEKO-TEX matter. They set a much-needed baseline. They help weed out the worst offenders and give consumers a shorthand for trust. But they are not the full picture. A label does not tell you who made your clothes, how they were treated, or how much damage was done along the way. At No Nasties, we are working to go beyond the tag. We track the carbon footprint of every product—from farm to doorstep—and offset it by 300 per cent. So far, we have removed, by offsetting 620907.96 kg of CO2e. We believe accountability should be visible, not just certified. Show me your factory. Show me your soil. Show me your numbers. How are innovations in materials—like bio-based textiles or textile recycling—reshaping the future of sustainable fashion, and what excites you most in this space? The most exciting thing? Waste is turning into raw material. Old clothes becoming new ones. Fabrics that leave no footprint. Fashion finally learning how to clean up after itself. At No Nasties, we are setting up our own Lab—a space to experiment with upcycling, bio-based blends, and circular design. Because sustainability is not enough. It is time fashion evolved. What challenges did you face while introducing Fairtrade and organic practices in the Indian apparel industry? When we started No Nasties, no one was talking about Fairtrade or organic in fashion. It was not trendy—it was confusing. We had to explain what GMO seeds were, why soil health mattered, and how a t-shirt could be 'fair'. It felt like shouting into the void. But it was a conversation worth starting. And today, we are proud that what was once radical is now baseline. The industry caught up. The vocabulary changed. Now we are pushing the next conversation: carbon offsets, climate-positive action, and regenerative and circular fashion. We are building new solutions that meet the customer where they are—simple, traceable, meaningful. It is not easy. But we have done it before. And we are doing it again. What does your commitment to carbon neutrality involve on a practical, day-to-day level? At No Nasties, we track the carbon footprint of every product—from farm to doorstep—and offset it by 300 per cent. So far, we have removed over 620,900 kg of CO₂e. That means partnering with verified platforms like Veritree and Green Story to ensure real trees are planted and real offset projects are funded around the world. On the ground, it is detailed SOPs—recording everything from garment weight to electricity usage. Working with Fairtrade and GOTS-certified factories helps too—there is a standard of care built into every step. We also have a growing pipeline of sustainability projects in motion—from returnable packaging to building a fully circular system at No Nasties. It is not just about offsets. It is about better systems. And we have an amazing team making it happen, every single day. In what ways does your brand engage with vegan and plastic-free principles across operations and packaging? At No Nasties, every detail is intentional. Our clothes are made with 100 per cent organic cotton. Buttons? Coconut shells and corozo nuts. Elastic? Natural rubber—not synthetic. Our packaging walks the talk too: 100 per cent recycled paper boxes, recycled paper tags, and soy-based, earth-friendly inks. No plastic. No animal products. No compromise. Because sustainability is not just a label—it is built into every stitch, seam, and shipment. How does No Nasties ensure fair wages and ethical working conditions for the farmers and workers in its supply chain? We work exclusively with Fairtrade and GOTS-certified factories—because third-party accountability matters. But we do not just go by paperwork. We visit in person. We meet the teams. We walk the floors to ensure that working conditions are genuinely safe—no exposure to harmful chemicals or toxic dyes, access to healthy food, and crèches available on-site. For us, it is not just about audits—it is about energy. We believe in building relationships based on trust, transparency, and shared values. If the vibe is not right, it is a no. Fair wages and safe working conditions should be the baseline, not the bonus. And we are here to make sure they are. How did the idea for the Real-Time Tree Count come about, and how has it been received by customers? We are always looking for ways to make our sustainability efforts real—and easy to understand. We already work with verified platforms like Veritree and Green Story that fund impact projects across India, Indonesia, Madagascar, Kenya, Haiti and more—from mangrove replanting to large-scale reforestation. The real-time tree count was the next step. We plant three trees for every product sold, and we wanted that to show up live on our website—so customers can literally 'see' the impact they are part of. Your real-time impact on climate-change. The response? Incredibly positive. Up next: showing exactly where those trees are planted. Because at No Nasties, we believe it is not real unless it is visible. What sets the Bloom collection apart from previous No Nasties ranges? For Earth Day, we wanted to really focus on our Live Tree Counter. We worked backwards from there and built the idea of 'EVERY DAY WE PLANT TREES AROUND THE WORLD. EVERYDAY THE EARTH BLOOMS.' ON THE SEASON: It is summer! It is our season, our way of right as No Nasties—a brand designed to reverse climate change—to launch a collection perfect for the 40-degree sweltering heat. It is a statement—as a planet heats up, we continue to cool it down with our tree planting drive and carbon negative existence. ON THE PRINT: We love vintage prints and retro vibes in general—we are 90's kids! So, when it came to the summer collection, we went back to our moodboard with chintz and summer flowers and developed our signature Bloom print with Illustrator Nupur Panemanglor. We really wanted to deliver the idea of "EVERY DAY WE PLANT TREES AROUND THE WORLD. EVERYDAY THE EARTH BLOOMS.' The next best thing to fauna is flora! That is where the idea 'bloomed'. With physical stores in Assagao, Panjim, and Bengaluru, how important is in-person retail to your brand's growth and customer experience? In-person retail is everything. There is nothing like watching someone 'feel' our fabric for the first time and instantly get why it matters. The softness, the quality—it clicks. But it is more than just texture—it is trust. Our stores are where people meet the team, hear the full story, and see the humans behind the brand. That connection? You cannot replicate it online. Because real change only happens when we are in this together. And it starts face to face. Lastly, with climate change accelerating, how do you see the role of fashion evolving—from being a major polluter to potentially becoming a force for environmental restoration? Fashion helped break the planet. It can help heal it. At No Nasties, we have gone from organic clothing to climate-positive impact. Every product's carbon footprint is tracked—and offset by 300 per cent. We plant three trees per order. Over 237,900 so far. It is not a rocket science. It is just intention, technology, and action. Say 'no' to plastic. No to toxic dyes. No to unfair prices. Start by saying 'no'. Start by planting one tree. DISCLAIMER: All views and opinions expressed in this column are solely of the interviewee, and they do not reflect in any way the opinion of
E&E News
12-06-2025
- Health
- E&E News
Cancer patient urges SCOTUS not to dismiss Roundup verdicts
A Missouri man who developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma after using a popular weedkiller for decades wants the Supreme Court to reject the manufacturer's request to grant it immunity from his lawsuit and thousands of others. John Durnell in a brief filed Monday says a jury found that Monsanto's Roundup caused his blood cancer and that the company is liable for damages. But, he added, the company is arguing 'as it has argued with little success for years' that it should be immune from lawsuits that it says are barred by federal law. His filing comes after Bayer in April asked the high court to determine whether the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) should invalidate thousands of lawsuits that claim the company has a duty to warn about health risks from the product. Advertisement Bayer acquired Monsanto in 2018, and the company has been inundated with what it says were 'unfounded' legal challenges across the country from customers alleging the weedkiller was responsible for their cancers.
Rhyl Journal
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Rhyl Journal
Family pay tribute to bubbly hospital radio volunteer Brenda
Brenda Jones (née Pink) died at Glan Clwyd Hospital, aged 91, on March 23 after a short illness. Brenda, of Rhyl, was married to the late Joseph (Joe) Jones, who died in May 2024. The couple had three children: Stephen, Leslie, and Caroline. Brenda with husband Joe (Image: Submitted by family) Brenda, a cherished granny to Jazmin, Tabitha, Sophie, and Saffron, was one of identical twins, alongside her sister Elsie. The sisters were born into a showbiz family. Their father, Stanley Wilson Pink, worked for 20th Century Fox in Manchester as a film distributor, organising film premieres for cinemas and meeting many film stars of the day - including Shirley Temple, Jimmy Clitheroe, and Frankie Howerd. Brenda and Elsie collected autographs from the celebrities they met through their father. Sadly, Stanley passed away from cancer at a young age, and the family moved to Prestatyn. Brenda and Joe married in 1954 and moved to Wrexham, where Joe worked. Joe worked for Midland Bank, and Brenda worked for Monsanto. After their first two children were born, the family moved to Rhyl where Brenda and Joe ran a newsagents on Vale Road for five years called J&B's. Singer and cruise star Jane McDonald with Brenda (Image: Submitted by family) When Caroline was born, the couple left the shop. Joe went on to work for the local council, while Brenda began working at Rhyl Sports Centre - first in the café, then the ticket office, and eventually as PA to the centre manager, before retiring. Brenda began volunteering at Glan Clwyd Radio in June 2000 and quickly became a beloved part of the radio family. Leslie said: "After joining the committee and then later on, as press officer, she had her own show every Wednesday morning playing some of her favourite music from show, stage and screen for patients and staff in the hospital. She was a big fan of stage shows such as Phantom of the Opera, The Sound of Music and Mamma Mia. She used to get press invitations to see shows at both Rhyl Pavilion and Venue Cymru Llandudno including the annual Christmas pantomimes and UK touring companies. She reviewed these and helped promote them for the theatres. "She would often invite celebrities, actors and singers who would be performing in the various shows and pantomimes onto her radio show. She was very experienced at interviewing and getting them involved in the show. "She also invited local MP's and councillors to guest on her show asking them to pick their favourite pieces of music to play." Brenda also ran regular competitions to win theatre tickets and hosted ward bingo nights and quizzes for the benefit of patients. Brenda, Jane McDonald and Brenda's daughter Caroline (Image: Submitted by family) "She would often be in attendance along with Tony Mannix and other radio presenters at outside broadcasts in the Radio Glan Clwyd van playing music and compering at many local events such as the May Day parades, local car shows and summer fayres," Leslie said. She was recognised three times for her contribution to the community through her work with Glan Clwyd Hospital Radio. RELATED NEWS "In 2011, mum was nominated to go the Queen's Garden Party at the Palace," Leslie said. "Caroline accompanied her and they both had a fabulous day. "In 2018, Caroline nominated mum for a show called 'Jane and friends'. "Jane McDonald was mum's favourite singer. She surprised mum at the studio, needless to say there were tears, but they both had a fantastic morning on the 'Brenda and Jane show' and then appearing on the Channel 5 television show afterwards." MORE NEWS In 2023, Brenda was made a Patron of Glan Clwyd Radio in recognition of her 23 years of volunteering and fundraising at a celebration party organised by her colleagues at the station. Speaking about her personality, Leslie said: "Mum was always smiling, had a great sense of fun, and a bubbly personality. She gave so much of herself to her family and community. "She was a remarkably selfless lady who leaves behind so many wonderful memories for all who knew her." Brenda loved meeting stars of stage and screen whenever she had the chance. Her musician son, Steven (Steve), who composed and performed for various shows over the years, always tried to involve Brenda and Joe in the social side of his work. Leslie said: "Through pantos in Rhyl, Carlisle and New Brighton, mum met so many stars. Steve would often leave her while he went to the bar only to return to find mum chatting to Dean Sullivan from Brookside or Su Pollard from Hi-de-Hi! "Mum would be in her element."
Time of India
10-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Illegal HT cotton seeds make deep inroads into agriculture markets, hits legal traders
Nagpur: The prohibited herbicide-tolerant (HT) seeds — genetically engineered to survive toxic weed killers — have made deep inroads into the market, and it may end up leaving a major dent in the legal trade of BG2 cotton seeds this sowing season, say dealers in agricultural inputs. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Farmers are buying the HT seed at nearly double the price at which the legitimate BG2 cotton is available, said sources. Farmers told TOI that HT seeds are being sold for as much as Rs1,200 to 1,500 a packet, whereas the permitted BG2 seeds are being sold for Rs850. Rates of the latter are fixed by the govt. CD Mayee, former director of Central Institute of Cotton Research, said at least 30% of the area under cotton is expected to have HT cotton. HT seeds were developed by multinational agriculture giant Monsanto in alliance with the Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company (Mahyco). It has an additional gene that can survive even if weed-killers (herbicides) are used. It does away with the need for manually clearing farms of weeds before and after sowing. Just spraying glyphosate-based herbicide helps, as the weeds are killed and the HT cotton survives. The BG2 cotton is only resistant to the bollworm pest. However, the variety could not get formal approval from the govt as the trials were stopped midway by the Mahyco-Monsanto combine. Yet, as the seeds were pilfered, Gujarat emerged as the hub for illegal cultivation, said sources. Pankaj Bothra, a dealer in Yavatmal, said traders have to book their quota of cotton seeds by paying in advance. There are chances that many may not be able to even recover their costs due to the rampant sale of HT seeds. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now There are chances that some may even ask for a refund from seed companies due to substantial stock remaining unsold. Sharad Chandak of Nagpur Agro Dealers Association also acknowledged that HT seeds are hitting their business. Farmers are preferring the HT seeds, which the peddlers claim have dual protection covering both pests and herbicides. In fact, the grey market dealers start operations much before the official sales are allowed. The govt does not allow the sale of cotton seeds before June 15, a source said. Sources said the packets are transported in passenger buses from Gujarat, with dealers bringing small quantities to avoid detection. In a recent trend, loose seeds are brought to Vidarbha and then packed by local agents. So far, the agriculture department has seized 1,800 packets and over 1.7 tonnes of loose HT seeds in Nagpur division. Farmers say this is just the tip of the iceberg. The real action must happen in Gujarat — where the source lies. Meanwhile, even as BG2 seeds sales are down, dealers are also stocking glyphosate-based weed killers anticipating demand due to the HT seeds. Legally, glyphosate cannot be used in cropped areas but it is easily available in stores, said sources.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Group formed to invest, grant money from state's largest environmental damages settlement
The Lower John Day River, pictured, is among the Oregon waterways contaminated by polychlorinated biphenyls. (Photo by Greg Shine/U.S. Bureau of Land Management/Flickr) More than two years ago, Oregon settled with agrochemical giant Monsanto over the company's alleged role in polluting waters of the state for more than 90 years with toxic chemicals harming humans and aquatic species. Now, Gov. Tina Kotek and the newly established Oregon Environmental Restoration Council will begin planning, investing and distributing that settlement money – $698 million – over the course of 50 years, using it to pay for environmental restoration and cleanup work across the state. Kotek announced the council's chairs Wednesday, as well as details about how the money in the state's Environmental Restoration Fund will eventually be allocated. 'The term 'once-in-a-generation opportunity' can be a little bit hyperbolic, but I think in this case, it's absolutely true,' said Nicole Maness, manager of the fund. 'This is a significant amount of money, and it's coming at a time when there's a huge amount of uncertainty around federal funding for restoration.' The settlement money will be invested by the State Treasury, and earn interest income that will be distributed by the Environmental Restoration Council and the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board biennially, Maness said. Half of the settlement money awarded each biennium will go to state agencies to support work on water and environmental restoration. One quarter will go to the nine federally recognized tribes in Oregon for conservation and natural resources; and the remaining quarter will go to local communities and community-based organizations for projects benefitting people and neighborhoods disproportionately harmed by pollution. The deal between the Oregon Department of Justice and Monsanto is the largest environmental damages settlement in state history. The company agreed to pay in December 2022 to end a lawsuit brought by then Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum over allegations that Monsanto had for decades polluted state waters with Polychlorinated biphenyls, also called PCBs. Oregon is among several states that have sued the company, which has not admitted guilt or liability for the pollution. Monsanto was for decades the only manufacturer, seller and distributor of PCBs — colorless or light yellow compounds once used in coolants, electrical equipment, hydraulic oils, paints and caulking and copy paper — until it voluntarily ceased production of the compounds in 1977. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found the compounds can cause cancer in animals, and the federal Environmental Protection Agency says they are likely human carcinogens. PCBs continue to leach from landfills and travel into ground and surface waters where they are difficult to remove. More than a dozen waterways in Oregon are damaged by PCBs, including the Portland Harbor, Lower Columbia River, Middle Columbia River, Willamette River, Upper and Lower John Day Rivers and Coos Bay. The money will be used for more than just trying to tackle PCB pollution, Maness said, and 'in a way that is going to be meaningful to Oregonians, that is going to strike that balance between addressing past harms, but also opportunities to restore places that are important to people, important to wildlife.' These could include removing barriers to fish passage, improving overall water quality and aquatic habitat and ensuring salmon consumed among many tribes in Oregon are abundant and safe to eat, she said. Kotek on Wednesday announced she appointed Chuck Sams, an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and the former director of the National Park Service, and Michael Dembrow, former Democratic state senator representing Portland, as co-chairs of the council. She also appointed Vice Chair Cheyenne Holliday, advocacy director at the nonprofit Portland-based environmental and social justice group Verde. 'This is a tremendous opportunity for us to improve the health and living conditions of Oregonians in every part of the state, year after year for the next fifty years at least,' Dembrow said in a news release. 'It's especially important to have this stable source of funding right now, given our uncertain state budget and little hope for federal support for this important work.' The rest of the council will be made up of the directors, or a designee of the directors, of the Oregon Health Authority, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality; Oregon's attorney general or someone from the Office of the Attorney General; and two non-voting members from the Oregon House of Representatives and the Oregon Senate, chosen by those chambers. Kotek has yet to pick the final two members of the 11-member council she gets to appoint, but Maness said they will have to possess expertise in either PCBs or a wide range of environmental toxins. The council aims to have its first meeting this summer, Maness said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
