Farmers and scientists will come together at an international conference later this week to discuss the threat of genetic engineering (GE) on livelihoods and the environment.

The conference with the theme 'Science for the people: Challenging genetic engineering and agrochemicals' will be held at the Asia Pacific Development Centre in Kuala Lumpur, 9am, this Saturday.

Participants are expected to offer different views on GE and genetically modified organism (GMO) which giant companies tout as the "solution" to the world's problems such as famine, food and crop production obstacles, and minimising pollution.

Farmers and scientists from Malaysia, Indonesia, India, South Korea and the United States, among other countries, will rebut the popular claims that major 'gene giants' have promoted through their million-dollar advertising campaigns.

People-centred analyses

They keynote address at the three-day conference will be delivered by Rafael 'Ka Paeng' Mariano from the Peasants Movement of the Philippines (KMP).

A scientist from the radical international environmental watchdog Greenpeace, Doreen Stabinsky, will also be present at the conference organised by the Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Asia and the Pacific.

PAN is a non-profit company which promotes sustainable agriculture and opposes the use of pesticides. It is committed to protecting the safety and health of people and the environment.

Indigenous people, women and consumers groups will also have the opportunity to present their views at the conference.

In a statement on Tuesday, PAN executive director Sarojeni V Rengam said the conference will serve as a conduit to foster and develop genuine people-centred scientific analyses.

She added that it will also create networking between the peasant movements in Asia and the scientific community.

Sarojeni said the dates selected for the conference was timely as it will be held just before the Malaysian government sponsored 'BioMalaysia 2002' conference from Oct 1 to 4.

The conference aims to foster major investment in GE and biotechnology development to turn Malaysia into a GE hub in Asia.