Are You sure you want to delete Member from list ?
India, a land of agriculture had mastered biodiverse agricultural techniques through centuries of experience. Things changed drastically in agriculture when the nation faced forced famine by colonialism. Hybrid seeds, with high yield came as a rescue in the early sixties. With collaboration of Borlaug Mexico, seeds were brought to India and soon Companies like Rockefeller and Ford invested in Indian seed market as part of the green revolution and the slogan “Feed the World “was adopted. Little did we know that all they were trying to feed, was their own greed for domination and power.
In Eightees, corporates entered the market selling dreams of prosperity. Farmers initially duped by the yields and low-cost seeds, prospered for a few years and cash-crops replaced the regular bio-diverse agriculture, making the farmer dependent on corporates for hybrid seeds which could not be taken from the crop. Then came the water crisis due to over-use of water by hybrids, supported by fertilizers. Fertilizers caused soil degradation, poisoned ground water and caused biodiversity loss, killing the pollinators, insects, bees and birds. Loans and subsidies came for monocrops chosen by the government. In short, the farmers were totally dependent on the corporates which, now, hiked prices at will. Result was debts, burnt crops and violence that erupted in Punjab in 1984. The land of five rivers turned barren having a low water table and dried rivers. Its farmers are looking for alternatives due to the loss of their livelihood and a drastic spike in cancer cases owing to the use of pesticides.
In the nineties, Monsanto entered the Indian market illegally with genetically modified BT cotton. Initially hailed as a success, it led to farmer debt traps and around 2.7 lakh farmer suicides when they became dependent on costly patented seeds. (Reference: The Guardian, May, 2014)
India's story is not unique. Across the Global south, the Green Revolution became a way of reshaping agriculture to serve geopolitical and corporate interests. Notable examples are Philippines, Latin America and Africa, where the U.S aid programs depended on the adoption of hybrid and genetically-modified crops.
These crops are not just an environment issue but a political one, a tool of power, dependency, and global influence. The Green Revolution which is often celebrated as a miracle, is actually a different kind of colonisation which is trying to control our food through seeds. It reshaped agriculture to serve global corporations while eroding local autonomy. We as consumers need to make concious choices about our food before there are no choices left.
Saba Qamar
CT Batch 4
