March 15, 2005

Islamabad: Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) pose serious threats to food security because multinational companies are in control of seed market and production of GMO products. GMOs have the potential to cause allergies, toxins and other nutritional problems. Therefore, they should not be released into market unless there is sufficient scientific evidence that they do not cause harm to human health. These views were expressed by experts in a talk, which was jointly organized by Consumer Rights Commission of Pakistan (CRCP) and Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) on the occasion of World Consumer Rights Day.

Speaking at the talk on “GMOs, Food Security and Consumer Protection”, Mr. Mazhar Siraj Research Fellow CRCP explained that GMOs included plants, animals and organisms, which have been genetically modified to produce a desired characteristic. These GMOs are mostly babies of giant multinational companies. At present, GM crops are cultivated on about 68 million hectares of land world over, 90 percent of which is controlled by only four multinational companies-Monsanto, Syngenta, Dupont and Novartis. He said that currently 35 GM products were readily available in European market and some other countries.

Mr. Siraj explained the health risks involved in use of GMOs. He said that GMOs were a source of allergies, toxins and many nutritional problems. Some GM products have the potential to produce pesticides as well. GM food can carry genes, which are antibiotic resistant thus turning antibiotic medicines ineffective on consumer of such food. Moreover, GM food is not labeled and therefore, consumers do not know what they are eating. GM food should be segregated from non-GM food at source, he stressed.

Dr. Shahid Zia, Executive Director Lok Sanjh Foundation, highlighted that GMOs posed a threat to food security and food sovereignty because they provide a space to multinationals to have a monopoly over seeds and decide about what we eat. He contested the claims of proponents of GMOs that they could enhance yield. Not even a single GM variety has ever claimed to increase potential yield, he said. In addition, GM products did not promise higher profits vis-à-vis non-GM products. In fact, genetic engineering is a pre-mature technology, which does not answer lot of questions, which consumers have about the safety of GM products.

Dr. Zia was of the view that National Biosafety Guidelines, which were prepared by the National Biosafety Commission in 1999, did not adequately address the concerns of consumer groups and other stakeholders. Indeed, multinational companies such as Monsanto have been consulted more civil society in preparation of these guidelines. He said that in absence of scientific certainty about the safety of GMOs, they should be restricted to research at the laboratory level. At this stage, field trials and commercial release should not be allowed because they can contaminate other crops and cause irreversible damages.