Greenpeace launches protest against GE rice

Greenpeace, the world's most effective environmental activist group, has joined hands with the Bhartiya Kisan Union, Haryana to kickstart a campaign against the field experiments of genetically modified rice.

The spokespersons of Greenpeace, while releasing a report on 'Rice Industry in Crisis' in Chandigarh, said the global exports of rice were severely hit due to contamination by the GE rice.

The farmers in Haryana, led by Bhartiya Kisan Union, set the GE test field near Karnal on fire on October 28 last year to manifest their protest against the cultivation of GE rice.

The Indo-Gangetic belt in India has the most conducive climate and topography for the cultivation of basmati and non-basmati rice.

Farmers are less educated and mostly concerned about the returns. The NGO raised the issue of sustainable agriculture and impact on environment.

They also alleged that the cross of genetically modified rice with the traditional rice was inevitable that could lead into a chain reaction of contamination of crop.

They said they wanted to stop the use of genetically modified seeds till the time concrete implications and the health hazards about the use of GE rice were clinically tested.