Protest Rally against commercial release of Golden Rice in Bangladesh.

BAFLF and NWFA declared two months long protest activity to resist Golden Rice Commercialization.

Bangladesh Agricultural Farm Labour Federation (BAFLF) and National Women Farmers & Workers Association (NWFA) demand to stop GMO golden rice commercial release in Bangladesh. With the slogan ‘Stop golden rice! Defend local variety of rice!’ NWFA and BAFLF organized a protest a rally at BRRI campus, Gazipur.

BRRI is developing genetically engineered rice GR2E based on most productive rice variety of Bangladesh BRRI Dhan 29.This transgenic golden rice was developed by taking gene from maize and evolved it into BRRI Dhan29.After two years of confined field trails, multi- location field trails are going on. BRRI have sought regulatory approval from the government for an ‘un confined’ field test prior seeking release approval. Recently new agriculture minister declared ‘Golden rice is very close to release, it will be available soon in Bangladesh and environment ministry will give clearance to the rice for production in farmers’ field’. It is also said that golden rice cultivation will be started within two or three months.

BAFLF and NWFA  organized this protest rally to denounce government declaration of the approval of golden rice commercialization . BAFLF general secretary Abdul Mazid presided over the meeting while Md. Mamun of BAFLF conducted the same. Farmers &   agricultural workers were present the meeting to express their concerns about govt. plan to release Golden rice. Speakers said introducing GMO golden rice is not proper solution to address vitamin- A deficiency. Rather our ecology, biodiversity , food safety will be at great risk . Scientists could not prove that transgenic golden rice will not cause biological contamination to local varieties and even could not give any evidence in favour of any positive gain of gene incorporation from maize to rice. It may cause serious threat to local high yielding popular rice variety.

Abdul Mazid of BAFLF  said the paid scientists and transnational companies agents are spreading the propaganda that Golden rice is good enough to meet half of rice eating consumers daily deficiency of vitamin- A and it would be of the  same price  as other rice variety once released for commercial farming in Bangladesh. The experience of Bt. Brinjal  proved that it is not true. It is a trap of taking control over our seed market and making our agricultural production system completely dependent on transnational companies. He explained that GMO seed are patented. In the case of Bt. Brinjal at first farmers had been given free seeds along with inputs cost, fertilizer, pesticides and cash money. But now Bt. Brinjal seed are seven times higher in price than normal Brinjal seeds. So the main intention of introducing GMO crops in Bangladesh one after another is to make more corporate profit in expanse of consumers’ health and farmers’ seed freedom. It will affects our food security and food sovereignty. This cannot be allowed.

Lila Khanom of NWFA said Farmers don’t want GMO golden rice; people are alarmed with the news of govt. approval of Golden rice commercialization. In Bangladesh we have lot of sources of Vitamin –A  in common fruits and vegetables that are available from both cultivated and uncultivated sources and cheaper in price. She demanded Govt. must abstain from introducing Golden Rice as well as any GMO seeds. She added that ‘our protest against golden rice commercial release will continue’ both inside BRRI and all over Bangladesh.

From the protest rally, two months long protest activities programmes were declared that includes Human chain in front of DC office Gazipur and  giving memorandum to DC, Gazipur, Protest Rally in Dhaka and giving memorandum to Agriculture minister, press conference and national consultation in Dhaka and giving memorandum to prime minister.

Besides to strengthen effective resistance against GMO golden rice it was decided to form a national Forum with farmers organization, agricultural workers organization, civil society supporters and NGOs working on same issues.