The Hindu : New Delhi News : Greenpeace demands ban on genetically modified food trials

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Dec 01, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

Greenpeace demands ban on genetically modified food trials

Special Correspondent

No transparency in safety issues about entrance in the food chain

NEW DELHI: The Greenpeace-India on Tuesday demanded a ban on all field trials in genetically engineered food crops in the country and asked for all data on ongoing trials to be made public.

After one year of study, the non-governmental organisation has come up with a "biohazard hotspot" map of India that shows that 21 vegetables are being genetically engineered in at least 21 institutions in the public and private sectors, foundations and foreign institutions.

Vegetables and fruits like brinjal, cabbage, tomato, cereals including kabuli chana and pigeon peas, banana, musk, melon and watermelon were at various stages of experimentation and trials in the country. What was disturbing was that there was no transparency in the health and safety issues involving the entrance of genetically modified products in the food chain.

Damaging evidence

According to Divya Raghunandan, the genetic engineering campaigner for Greenpeace-India, some of the research was being undertaken in spite of damaging evidence found in other countries. For instance, studies in Australia had shown the adverse impact of genetically engineered peas on mice demonstrating it as a "dangerous technology."

"Unexpected and unpredicted effects can occur with far reaching implications to the environment, animal and human health. Our wheat, pigeon pea and chickpea is exposed to research with similar genes," she said.

Earlier, the Greenpeace representatives met Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss and sought his intervention.

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