The forum, organised ahead of the 14th Saarc Summit to be held in New Delhi next month, also stressed the need to combat trafficking in women and children and strengthen cooperation between the big and small countries in the region.

Some 100 delegates from the Saarc countries attended the forum organised by South Asia Network on Food, Ecology and Culture (SANFEC), PANAP, SANTI, Resistance Network, Genetic Resources Action International (GRAIN) and FTN Asia. UBINIG and Odhikar are the hosts of the programme.

Speakers at different sessions said food sovereignty is important for long-term benefits and sustainable development.

They also stressed the need to promote local seeds and indigenous knowledge and skills in order to ensure improved livelihood of the people.

The forum is likely to adopt a declaration to draw the attention of the Saarc leaders so that they take steps to ensure security of the people as well as food sovereignty of the South Asian countries, said Farhad Mazhar of Nayakrishi Andolon of UBINIG.

It will also adopt recommendations regarding the fight against human trafficking, he added.

"We are also concerned about the security of small countries like Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. We think that the security of such countries should figure in the agenda of Saarc summit," he said.

Earlier, the three-day forum was inaugurated with Lalon song and by lighting candles.

Shree Ram Shrestha of SANFEC, Benu Gurung of Resistance Network, Gurinder Kaur of FTN Asia, Shalini Bhutani of Grain, Sheikh Altafur Rahman of Santi, ASM Nasiruddin Elan of Odhikar and Farhad Mazhar addressed the inaugural function moderated by Farida Akhter of UBINIG.

After the inaugural session, Farida Akhter and Bhaskar Goswami briefed the participants on Saarc Peoples' Forum and highlighted the outcomes of the last forum.

Later, Shalini Bhutani and Farhad Mazhar spoke on 'Saarc and concerns of the Peoples of South Asia: Setting the Theme of Fifth Saarc Peoples' Forum'. Ranjit de Silva of Sri Lanka moderated the session.

Gurindar Kaur, Shree Ram Shrestha, Ranjit de Silva, Dr Qamar Mahiuddin and Dr MA Sobhan presented papers on agriculture and food sovereignty.

In another session, Shalini Bhutani, Bhaskar Goswami and Md Iqbal presented papers on 'Privatisation and corporate control of natural resources'.

A book titled 'Food Sovereignty and Uncultivated Biodiversity in South Asia' will be launched today.