HYDERABAD: Demanding that the Union government hold democratic consultations as a first step towards formulation of a policy on genetically modified (GM) crops, farmers associations from south India urged the state government to shun gene technologies in the food and farming sector.
In view of the Supreme Court recently directing the Centre to formulate a national policy on GM crops, Kisan Congress hosted a conclave of the south Indian farmers associations here in Hyderabad on Sunday. Members of around 40 farmers welfare associations attended the meeting.
Speaking on the occasion, Kisan Congress state chairman S Anvesh Reddy said: “Introduction of genetic engineering technologies in our food and farming systems is a concern for all citizens without exception. It is about our environment, health, livelihoods and sovereignty. Farmers do not want those technologies and GM crops, both as producers and as consumers. They want a bio-safety policy and not a promotional policy for GM crops.”
He said that they will request Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to represent the concerns raised by the conclave to the Union government.
Kavitha Kuruganti, an activist with ASHA-Kisan Swaraj national network, said that they have learnt that the Ministry of Agriculture has gone ahead and appointed a panel of agricultural experts to draft the policy, and alleged information on this is being kept secret.
She said that state governments, as rightly noted by the Supreme Court bench in its order, have constitutional authority over both agriculture and health, and most state governments have already taken a firm policy stand against GM crops.
She expressed apprehensions that the Union government may bypass democratic consultative processes as suggested by the Supreme Court in the process of formulation of policy while experiencing pressure from the seed industry lobby.