LET THEM DECIDE

By Kartik Lokhande
For a common man, it will be very difficult to believe that any region facing agrarian crisis and witnessing farmers’ suicides, is at the centre of an international corporate aggression. For, some say that the farmers’ suicides, or, for that matter, agrarian crisis is a result of failure of biotechnology (Bt) or genetically modified (GM) crop. Others counter it by putting the blame on to rampant use of chemical fertilizers. While this war of words, allegations and counter-allegations, goes on, the farmers who are caught in the crisis have a very little say. For, they have not been given freedom to exercise their choice in the so-called free market.
Here, the point is the ongoing debate – whether to allow GM crops/Bt crops or not. And, nationally and internationally, the opinion is divided. India has allowed commercial release of only one Bt crop – cotton. And, the entire debate over good or bad results of Bt/GM crops is centred around cotton. Those in favour claim that it has led to tremendous increase in cotton yield, thus benefitting farmers. Further, the supporters claim, Bt cotton has reduced pesticide or fertilizer cost of farmers. On the other hand, the opponents, popularly called as ‘anti-GM’, claim that Bt cotton foliage has caused harm to cattle and human health as well. Both sides have been quoting one research or another to buttress their claims. More interestingly, each side has been presenting a farmer or another as its ‘poster boy’ of beneficiary or victim of Bt cotton.
Have the farmers benefited from Bt cotton? To an extent, yes. To an extent, no. This is where the war between pro-GM and anti-GM intensifies. Factually speaking, more than 95 per cent of the cotton area in India has come under Bt cotton. There are countless many brands of Bt cotton in India. Does this indicate that farmers have accepted Bt cotton? The factual answer will be a no. Many farmers who saw increase in yield in initial seasons after sowing Bt cotton, later saw a decline in yield. In many cases, cotton plant attracted diseases and yield came down. As a result, they wanted to revert to traditional or desi varieties of cotton. However, only Bt cotton seeds were available in the market. Cotton-growers had no option but to continue with Bt cotton.
Thus, blocking one option to promote another has left farmers in a lurch. In a country like India, the Government is ‘the’ authority. However, in case of GM crops, the Government has not been able to take any stand. Instead of conducting proper scientific research on merits or demerits of GM crops, and placing it in public domain for scrutiny, the erstwhile UPA Government had imposed a moratorium on field trials of GM crops, in particular, Bt Brinjal. This led to slowing down of research even by private entities. While many scientists in the Government set-up advocated GM crops, the Parliamentary committee gave its verdict against it. The contradictions led nowhere. In the gap left by these contradictions, experts fear, many illegal GM crop varieties might be in the market already.
Recently, the new Government at the Centre has shown some initiative to iron out the contradictions within the set-up. It has allowed field trials to be conducted, opening the doors to research and scientific data collection. But, the Government needs to take one more step further and put in place a regulatory mechanism that prevents multinational corporations from blocking other options available to farmers. In fact, the Government should ask the companies to invest in research that will support the traditional wisdom of sustainable agricultural practices, and organic farming. The Government should also ensure that all alternatives are available to farmers, and they are allowed to exercise their own choice.
If a technology helps a farmer in a particular area with specific agro-climatic conditions, he will surely go for it. If it does not, he will reject it. For that to happen, the pre-requisite is the availability of all technologies, varieties, options in the market. 

(03-12-14)