BANGALORE, India — While five central ministries prepare to file affidavits in response to the Safe Food Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in the Supreme Court, Bangalore citizens participated in the first consumer mobilization event organized by Greenpeace as part of their True Food campaign. The campaign calls for safe, true food – food that is free from toxic chemical pesticides and free from Genetically Modified ingredients – for all Indians.
Noted singer and actress Vasundhara Das, and Gerry Martin, the
National Geographic naturalist, along with Greenpeace campaigners,
addressed a large gathering of fruit and vegetable vendors and
consumers at Russel Market this morning. They lent their voices to
the campaign, demanding a ban on pesticides and urged consumers to
opt for TRUE FOOD.
"The issue here is to create an opportunity to be able to make
choices. We are talking of basic human needs that shouldn't involve
'choices' and didn't involve choices too long ago", said Vasundhara
Das on the occasion, as she added her signature to a massive cloth
banner that will carry the petition to the concerned ministries in
Delhi. "I would choose, as I'm sure you would, clean and healthy
food and water. So why not support those who are making the effort
to give us all that choice?"
Gerry Martin, also speaking on the occasion, said "Everybody,
except the corporates responsible for the mindless spread of
poison, seem to be losing out here - the farmers, the consumers,
even innocent animals and wildlife. We need to realize that even a
single chemical introduced into a food system, ends up impacting
the entire ecosystem."
Greenpeace campaigners have already mobilized hundreds of
agricultural workers - men, women and children - to join a
signature campaign calling for a ban on at least those pesticides
that have already been banned elsewhere in the world. These people
represent the worst-impacted communities, from places like
Warangal, Bhatinda and Raichur, and are combining their efforts in
a hope to see their fundamental rights restored.
"Pesticides are dangerous; to workers and the local environment
at the point of manufacture; to farmers and agricultural workers,
and to consumers everywhere. Indians are routinely exposed to
several deadly pesticide residues in food and water, well beyond
permissible levels. Even government studies have proved this beyond
doubt," said Kavitha Kuruganti, Sustainable Agriculture campaigner,
Greenpeace India, "We have no option but to completely ban all
dangerous pesticides. We demand that the respondent ministries take
ownership of their roles in averting further disaster and ensure
TRUE FOOD for all consumers."
Scores of Bangalore consumers also joined the signature campaign
on this occasion. Greenpeace announced its plans to similarly
mobilize consumers in various cities around the country, to
establish True Food as the only alternative.
For more information:Namrata Chowdhary, Media Officer -
9810850092
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