Agriculture gets ignored in the daily rigmarole of news coverage. Two important developments related to farming sent distress signals to the environmentalists and the farming community. One, the government legalised contract farming as a part of its fair price assurance act. Two, the government allowed field tests of Bt. Brinjal in eight states across the country. This brought back concerns about the autonomy of farmers. There is a fear that farmers will be forced to grow hybrid or GM crops in their fields. The fear has doubled with the legalisation of contract farming. Accounts from America and the United Kingdom show the fear is not unfounded. GM (genetically modified) seeds introduced over twenty years ago consolidated the control of the seed industry in the hand of corporations. It came at the cost of the farmers. Earlier, farmers saved a portion of seeds for the next harvest. It helped farmers procure seeds in the next farming season. The industrialisation of agriculture ended this practice. Industrialisation introduced hybrid seeds and now GM seeds. The GM seeds have their genetic make-up modified to produce high yields. They are touted as an answer to farmer income and climate change. Four companies – Monsanto, DuPont, Syngenta and Dow control 60 percent of the seed market. Their market share increases up to 70 and 80 percent in crops like corn and soybean. The cost of seeds for corn jumped up by 500 percent and more than 450 percent for soybean in America. It dented the pockets of the farmers and brought down profit margins. In India, the use of Bt. Cotton seeds introduced by Monsanto drove farmers into poverty. It forced them to commit suicide. Government statistics show that 75 percent of the rural debt is attributed to the purchase of farmer inputs. The GM seeds now have a new name – ‘the seeds of suicide’. Noted environment activist Vandana Shiva commented, “The price per kilogram of cotton seeds has gone from 7 to 17,000 rupees.” She accused Monsanto of making fraudulent claims on achieving the high yields promised by them. Apart from driving farmers into economic distress, corporations selling GM seeds punish farmers through patents. Companies providing GM seeds sign contracts with farmers that gives them operational control. From inspecting the fields to dictating farmers on how to grow the crop, the companies control the entire production process. These patents and contracts indirectly control nearby fields. A farmer can be sued by seed corporations if the GM seeds contaminate their farms due to pollination. The farmer faces economic penalties in the form of crop loss and fines. Seed corporations lured farmers promising them better yields and income. Consequentially, farmers growing GM seeds are dependent on the companies for farmer inputs. Their livelihoods are shackled to the seed corporations.
10 Jan 2022
Vijay Hardik Josyula
