MYSORE: Experts in the field of agriculture promoting alternative technology have expressed concern over the negative impact of genetically engineered seeds and have urged farmers to launch a "seed satyagraha" to protect their interests.

Speaking at a seminar on "Seeds and Genetic Engineering in Agriculture" here on Tuesday, experts called upon farmers to protest the intervention of multinational companies in the Indian agricultural sector.

Seminar

The two-day seminar has been organised by Amrita Bhoomi, an international centre for sustainable development, and is being held at the Central Institute of Indian Languages.

Subhas Palekar, a specialist in natural farming who inaugurated the seminar, said multinationals pose a threat to Indian agriculture and not only exploit and manipulate farmers, but were also a threat to Indian culture.

Calling upon farmers to take up natural farming, Mr. Palekar said there was a need to hold on to traditional Indian methods of agriculture and natural farming.

Experts present at the seminar were of the view that scientists should explain the benefits of organic and natural agricultural production systems to the public and Government.

Devinder Sharma, one of the speakers at the seminar, said farmers should launch a "seed satyagraha" to protect their interests at the global level called upon them to defy the seed policy of the Government.

He cautioned that multinational companies were trying to control seeds as they were against farmers selling them under independent brand names.

Experts warned that genetic farming would adversely affect the Indian farmer who would be deprived of seeds and would be at the mercy of the multinational companies.

During a presentation on nutrition, health and the future, Susan Bardocz and Arpad Pusztai said that the price being paid for chemical farming was too heavy.

They said there was a deterioration of the quality of agricultural land, decrease in biodiversity and increase in contamination of drinking water.

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