Biodiversity too has to be safeguarded for future generations: activists

SAGE has raised demand to declare Mysore a GMO-Free City

Mysore is known for its crops such as Mysooru Mallige and Mysore betel leaf, which have a prominent status in the culture of the region. Activists say introduction of GM crops pose a danger to local food habits and culture. Photo: M.A. Sriram

Being a region where organic and natural farming is popular, activists called for declaring Mysore a GMO-Free City (Genetically Modified Organism-Free City) more than three years ago.

The Southern Action on Genetic Engineering (SAGE) had raised the demand for a ‘GMO-Free Mysore’ in keeping with Mysore’s heritage character.

The activists had argued that just as the built heritage of a city had to be conserved for posterity, the rich biodiversity too had to be safeguarded for future generations. The activists drew inspiration from similar movements in France and Italy where there was wide-spread opposition to the introduction of GM crops in their vineyards.

GI tag

Mysore has similar traditions in agriculture and is known for its Mysooru Mallige, Mysore betel leaf, erangere badanekayi and Nanjangud rasabale, which had received Geographical Indication (GI) status, underlining their uniqueness and have a prominent status in the culture of the region. Hence, the activists had argued that introduction of GM crops posed a danger to local food habits and culture.

Sahaja Samruddha, an organisation which is mapping the paddy and rice diversity of the State, has created a network of over 500 farmers, who are striving to conserve the indigenous varieties of paddy and rice. It has also shifted from the conventional chemical-intensive agricultural practice to organic and natural form of cultivation as it is reckoned to be more environment-friendly.

‘Will ring death knell’

Krishnaprasad of Sahaja Samruddha explained that crop diversity was insurance against crop failure, which was a major issue in mono-culture. But the introduction of GM crops would ring the death knell of agricultural diversity, he added.

Vivek Cariappa, who took to organic farming more than two decades ago and settled in H.D. Kote, has argued that consequent to the introduction of Bt cotton, even the government has stopped patronising the indigenous hybrid variety and even the germiplasm of many varieties have not been preserved.

There are genuine fears that a similar fate will befall food crops as well. In addition, the safety of introducing GMO in food had not been established properly, he added.