The Second Global Forum of Food Safety Regulators (GF2 for short), organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), was held in Bangkok, Thailand, 12-14 October, 2004. CI had a large, talented, diverse delegation at the meeting and achieved several important objectives there. The Global Forum is a capacity-building meeting that brings together government food safety officials from developing countries with their colleagues from developed countries and interested observer INGOs, for purposes of information exchange and discussion of topics of mutual interest. GF2 was particularly noteworthy with respect to African participation; 32 African countries were present.

Voluntary Organization in Interest of Consumer Education (VOICE), a member of Consumers International and SLANGI organized a side event on 14 October immediately after the end of the Second Global Forum of Food Safety Regulators. The side-event was titled as “Consumer Concerns – Food Safety and GMOs” and its objectives were to inform participants of the consumer concerns with regards to food safety and GMOs, to identify and create contacts with country representatives of importance to the CI GMO campaign, and to increase the profile of consumer movement and its involvement on this issue. This event was planned by VOICE in order to enhance the capacity of consumer organizations from developing countries to participate at an international meet in an effective and efficient manner and take the advantage to network with the country delegates from developing countries to learn the existing regulatory mechanisms in different countries and exchange ideas on how to involve consumer organizations on food safety related issues.

On the same morning there were two practical workshops - one on strengthening official food safety control services and the other on epidemic-surveillance of food borne diseases and food safety rapid alert systems.

THE EVENT:

The event was chaired by Dr Sri Ram Khanna, Managing Trustee of VOICE, India and had speakers comprising Dr Suman Sahai (Gene Campaign, India), Dr Michael Hansen (Consumers Union, USA) and Dr Vitoon Lianchamroon (Biothai, Thailand). The event was conceptualized and managed by Bejon Misra, CEO VOICE with the local support from the Thai Consumer Organizations.

The CI delegation members were networking with all the delegates to ensure their participation through out the day. We particularly targeted delegates from developing countries especially from Asia and Africa. African delegates as many had expressed that they have little information about GMOs and are concerned about the impact on their food security and export markets. We also arranged to have a Thai interpreter on hand as we realized that in order to receive the best media coverage at the local level Thai communication would provide the full information on some of the complex matters relating to food safety and GMOs.

Saree and Bejon gave brief introductions and Sri Ram Khanna swung naturally into his role as Chair. The first speaker was Dr. Suman Sahai who, in straightforward language, painted a full picture of the impact of GMOs. She says: ‘Agriculture has evolved over 20,000 years; GMO technology was introduced only 20 years ago. Are we going to risk 20,000 years worth of heritage for a science which seems to be doggy and for benefits which have yet to be proved?‘

Dr Vitoon Lianchamroon talked of the situation in Thailand and the problems that had arisen from the recent GM papaya contamination. He pointed out that 40% of Thai farmers grow crops primarily for their own needs and local markets. Papaya was not a large part of their crop area but it was very important nutritionally and culturally. If GM could contaminate papaya today, what would be the situation with GM rice tomorrow?

Michael Hansen from the Consumers Union looked at the approval process in the US for GM products, pointing out how approval of the new GM technology had not undergone the sort of rigorous assessment that was normal for other products. He then goes into exhaustive depth about the scientific evidence of the potential harm that might result from GMOs, ending with a plea for more funding for scientific research on safety concerns.

Then the participants were allowed to ask questions to the panel of speakers before the ever-ebullient Sri Ram Khanna wrapped up the session and invited everyone over for a reception on the ground floor. The reception gave the CI members an opportunity to network with delegates, exchange views and address cards, and, sadly, say goodbye to colleagues who were leaving Bangkok the same evening.

CONCLUSION:

The Second Global Forum gave the consumer organizations an opportunity to not only strategies on future activities but also exchange views with the food regulators from all over the world on food safety and GMOs. Such activities always would provide the intellectual inputs within the consumer organizations and enhance their capacity to intervene effectively at the national and international level on behalf of the poor and disadvantaged consumers. VOICE also demonstrated the capacity of small organizations to organize international events with limited resources. The benefits from such events were amply seen from the feedback of the participants and all of them appreciated the event and suggested such events should become a regular feature in all the international consultations and Codex Committee sessions. This is just the beginning, the first step on a new and different path for CI as a global organization.

We feel that being here in Bangkok has been more than worthwhile. We have brought our message to the Global Forum and the media, we have put some of our concerns on the food safety agenda and we have had WHO admit, for the first time, that they do not know the potential long-term effects that may be caused by GMOs. And we have strengthened the bonds with our colleagues at the Foundations for Consumers and other civil society groups in Thailand.

About 50 participants attended the event from various countries, including Thai consumer activists and journalists. All the other CI delegates, except Dr Ned Groth who retired earlier this year from Consumers Union of US, were present to lend support to the event and they were Samuel Ochieng, from Consumer Information Network, Kenya, Sri Ram Khanna, from VOICE, India, Bejon Misra, from VOICE, India, Amadou Kanoute, director of ROAF, Zimbabwe, Saree Aongsomwang, from Foundation for Consumers, Thailand, Christine Cheong, food safety programme officer, ROAP, Malaysia, Samir El Jaafari, from Atlas-SAIS, Morocco, Michael Hansen, from Consumers Union of US, Moon, Eunsook, from Consumers Korea, Bjarne Pedersen, from ODTE, UK, David Cuming, from CI HO, UK, Kaye Stearman, from CI HO, UK and Marco Presutto, from CI HO, UK