Seminar against GM food

Monday, December 5, 2005

Staff Correspondent - New Age
http://www.newagebd.com/2005/dec/05/met.html

Speakers at a consultation meeting on Sunday urged the government to take initiative to stop endorsing the genetically modified food and seeds that pose threat to human health, environment and farmers.

The Ubinig executive director, Farida Akhter, said 80 per cent of the country’s population depending on agriculture would face great problems if the genetically-modified food and seeds are endorsed.
She, criticising the WTO cell of the commerce ministry, urged them a stand against GM technology which would open the door of destruction for biodiversity-based farming systems.
She also said the government was arguing that the GM seeds would help to feed the country’s rapidly-growing population and tackle certain common ailments associated with malnutrition. But they are not concerned about health hazards, she said.
The Voices for Interactive Choice and Empowerment organised the seminar on ‘peoples’ movement for life and livelihood’ at the National Press Club in the context of the 6th World Trade Organisation ministerial conference to be held during December 13-18.
Human rights activist Farhad Mazhar said everyone should stand against the privatisation policy of water resources, health service and education sector.
Corporate globalisation is the key bar to people’s right to basic services, said the Voices for Interactive Choice and Empowerment executive director, Ahmed Swapan Mahmud.