Karachi-based NGO Roots for Equity in collaboration with Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific (PAN AP) held a press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Saturday, October 11 to address issues of corporate agriculture, genetic engineering, land grabbing and food sovereignty in Pakistan. Speaking on behalf of the organizations were Dr Azra Talay Sayeed, Executive Director of Roots for Equity Pakistan, Dr Michael Hanson, Senior Scientist of Consumers Union USA and Abdul Sattar, a peasant leader from Punjab.
The conference focused on genetic engineering, particularly Bt cotton. Dr Michael Hanson called on the government to reject Bt crops, which he said are causing huge losses to farmers, particularly in Punjab and Sindh provinces. In many cases, Bt cotton is also causing health problems, financial losses and dependency among farmers on agricultural corporations.
In an article by Dawn newspaper, Dr Hanson discussed the dangers of Bt cotton in Pakistan, and said, “The findings showed the cultivation of Bt cotton increased the cost of production substantially as compared to the traditional crop. The expenses were incurred on account of high seed cost, more supplies of irrigation water and fertilizer. The savings were made only on account of insecticide. Besides, the Bt crop was susceptible to heat stress, virus attack and different diseases.”
Dr Azra and farmer Abdul Sattar agreed that genetic engineering was causing harm to farmers. Abdul Sattar said that farmers are suffering losses as a result of Bt crops, and Dr Azra spoke of the lack of awareness and education on the issue, as well as government deal-making with corporate agricultural giant Monsanto. Mr Sattar called on the government to conduct studies on growth potential, weather and land conditions in order to truly benefit farmers.
Another issue brought forth by the international experts was Pakistan’s Corporate Farming Ordinance, which allows foreign investors to lease large swaths of the country’s prime agricultural land. An article by The Nation pointed out that “Investment firms such as Schroeder and Global Agri Cap are fully conscious of the land and water resource gap and are estimating that investment portfolios in agricultural commodities will be one of the most profitable sectors. This factor is one of the key reasons that investors are leasing agricultural land to rake in tomorrow’s profits from growing food and agricultural commodities, adding that Pakistan is not able to grow enough food for its people.” Dr Azra said the policy is putting Pakistan’s people in a situation of worsening food insecurity, and should be brought to Parliament for debate.
According to Dr Azra, a paradigm shift is needed in the way agriculture is perceived in Pakistan. The News quoted her as saying, “Agriculture in Pakistan is not an industry. What we need is a careful assessment and devising scientific methods that increase food production without compromising the health of humans and plants.”