PRESS CONFERENCE at INDORE
April 10, 2005

Question: Is there any policy of your products against GM food?

Bharat Mitra: I think that the danger and implications of GM food is tremendous. Multi national companies have traditionally been abusing this country over and over again. Dangerous chemicals that have been disallowed in the west have been shipped to India . Asbestos, which is not acceptable in any developed country on the planet, is still being produced in our country. DDT that has been banned all over the world has been shipped to India . Genetically modified foods present a very dangerous development.

The multi national companies that are invested so heavily in GMO, and whose products are not accepted in other countries, like in Europe, are fighting their battle in India. ORGANIC INDIA is definitely are not into fighting anybody but we are here to provide a sustainable solution, which is friendly for the environment, friendly socially, and friendly for the end consumer. Nobody knows the implications of consuming genetically modified food. We need much more research before we start feeding our children genetically modified food without knowing the implications.

Question: Could you be more specific. Do you disagree with the genetically modified technology?

Bharat Mitra: There are some very alarming indications worldwide concerning genetically modified crops. I think that it is premature to decide if this technology is beneficial or not beneficial. There are hundreds of researches that indicate that there is a very alarming interference with the bio-diversity, with natural eco-systems and with the cycles of life. We don't have enough research in order to know what happens to us and to our bodies when we consume genetically modified food. We need many, many more years of research. But the multinational companies, who have invested so much money in these technologies, are not going to wait a moment.

They wish to impose this technology on the farmers of this country, before we are even aware what the implications are. So I have a very strong stand against genetically modified food before substantial, comprehensive and intelligent research has been done. Unfortunately, this is not the case today. Multinationals are driving these technologies, untested technologies, irresponsibly just for their own benefits. So I totally disagree at this point, and I disagree with their ethics.