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New Delhi, Sept 21: A report released by Monitoring and Evaluation Committee (MEC) set up by Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) has alleged that transgenic seed companies have resorted to false and misleading claims and unethical practices to sell Bt cotton to farmers.
The CSOs namely Centre for Sustainable Agriculture, Greenpeace India, Adivasi Ekta Sangathan, AKRSP, Dead, Grameen Vikas, Jan Saahas, Kheti Virasat Mission, Krishnadevaraya Rythu Sankshema Sangam, Krushi, Mari, Navajyoti, Pasumai Tayagam, Prasun, Rashtriya Satyagrah Dal, Sampark, Sarvodaya Youth Organisation, Secure, Vasps and Yuva had jointly set up a MEC on Bt cotton. This MEC was coordinated by Greenpeace India and Centre for Sustainable Agriculture (CSA) and the study was undertaken in Punjab, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
The study compiled evidences to show numerous unethical practices for its products and then claiming it as “the willingness of Indian farmers”. The MEC has called for accountability mechanisms to be put in place, to ensure that aggressive and unethical practices used by the Bt Cotton seed corporations to gain market share are put under check.
“The aggressive and misleading selling techniques adopted by the Bt Cotton companies show utter disregard for the farmers’ choice to buy seed. This also severely limits the options available for promoting safer alternatives like organic farming,” alleged Dr GV Ramanjaneyulu, executive director, Centre for Sustainable Agriculture.
According to Ms Thangamma Monnappa of Greenpeace India “Agriculture is a state subject and most states have failed utterly to evaluate the frightening scale of this Bt Cotton disaster.
The agricultural department needs to take a firm stand to ensure that the regulatory regime is strengthened for the protection of the farmer.” A researcher in CSA, Ms Kavitha Kuruganti said, “The Bt cotton industry would like us to believe that their sales are an indication of farmers’ acceptance of the technology and that it is a science-based industry. We have a different story to tell.
This compilation of various marketing practices, including stories of outright lies on the Bollgard posters, misleading advertisements of farmers with exaggerated claims to lure other farmers, of using a variety of incentives and even questionable means to attract and entrap farmers makes us question the claims of the company.
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