LAHORE: The move to approve the cultivation of genetically modified (GMO) corn in Pakistan has raised serious concerns with farmers, scientists, exporters, processors, academia and agriculturists warning that the decision amounts to a ‘suicide attack on food security, human health and a multi-billion dollar export industry.
At a national representative meeting at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry here on Sunday, stakeholders from across Pakistan unanimously rejected the proposed recommendation to allow GMO corn cultivation, stating that it could be devastating for Pakistan’s agriculture, economy and public health.
Speaking on the occasion,Farooq Bajwa, a progressive farmer, said that ‘Basmati rice is Pakistan’s golden jewel, earning over one billion dollars in exports annually.
GMO corn is a highly crosspollinating crop and it will destroy the non-GMO character of Basmati. Our identity in European and international markets depends on it being GMO-free. Once contamination occurs, we will lose our export markets forever.’ He warned that the decision could break the backbone of the national economy.
Khalid Khokhar rejected approval of the GMO maize and called it a decision on the behest of international powers and the IMF. He said that Pakistan’s maize yield was already double the Indian output, and comparable to USA yield. He stressed that there was no need to go for GMO maize cultivation.Participants rejected the government’s consultation process as ‘dubious and non-transparent.’ They said the committee headed by the federal unance minister invited only multinational companies, while completely ignoring Pakistan’s locally registered organisations, farmers and the domestic seed industry. Farmers termed it a ‘conspiracy to establish foreign monopoly,’ saying it would hand over Pakistan’s agriculture to a few international corporations and wipe out the local seed industry.
Speakers also pointed out that Pakistan had already achieved tremendous success in local hybrid corn research and development, with yields now exceeding 100 maunds per acre, raising serious questions about the need for GMO corn.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Anwarul Haq and other scien-tists said that by sidelining local scientists and researchers, the government had prioritised a ‘foreign agenda’, which was a grave mistake.
At the conclusion, the meeting unanimously passed a resolution warning the government to immediately halt implementation of recommendations on GMO corn as all stakeholders including farmers, local seed industry, scientists and exporters were not taken into confidence. Furthermore, conduct an independent and transparent assessment of the impacts of GMO corn on human health, environment, economy and exports.
They warned that if the government ignored farmers and experts, the entire agriculture sector would launch large-scale protests on every platform, given the boundless negative consequences.