The Hindu : A campaign in support of 'true food'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jul 05, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka-Bangalore

A campaign in support of 'true food'

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE July 4. Even as a public interest petition by it is pending before the Supreme Court, Greenpeace, on Friday, organised a consumer mobilisation event titled, True Food Campaign, at the Russel Market. Vasundhara Das, singer-actress, the National Geographic Channel's naturalist, Gerry Martin, and Greenpeace campaigners addressed a large gathering of fruit and vegetable vendors and consumers, demanding a ban on pesticides. They urged consumers to opt for "true food''.

Ms. Das said: "the issue here is to create an opportunity to be able to make the right choices. We are talking of basic human needs that should not involve choices.'' She affixed her signature on a massive banner which would carry the petition to the ministries concerned in Delhi. "I shall choose, as you will, clean and healthy food and water; so why not support those who are making the effort to give us that choice,'' she asked. Mr. Martin said the farmers, the consumers, the wildlife, all, except the corporates responsible for the mindless spread of poison, seemed to be losing out here. We needed to realise that even a single chemical introduced into a food system, ended up impacting the entire ecosystem.''

The Greenpeace's sustainable agriculture campaigner, Kavitha Kuruganti, said: "pesticides are dangerous to workers, the local environment at the point of manufacture, farmers and agricultural workers, and consumers. Indians are routinely exposed to several deadly pesticide residues in food and water, well beyond permissible levels."

Greenpeace, in its PIL, has made the ministries of Agriculture, Environment and Forests, Health and Family Welfare, Food and Civil Supplies, and Fertilizers and Chemicals, respondents in their petition. These ministries are preparing to file affidavits in response to the Safe Food PIL filed by Greenpeace.

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A campaign in support of 'true food'