False Promises: How One Company Drastically Failed Indian Farmers

By: Gabriella Dodgson
May 2020 - Reflections on Bt cotton

    The news is often filled with new innovation pertaining to sustainable agriculture. The one that we tend to hear the most is genetically modified organisms or more commonly known as GMO’s. “Genetically modified cotton is currently grown on 25 million hectares around the world [1]”.  This cash crop is especially important to India as they are the largest producer of cotton in the world. BT cotton was promised as a miracle solution to reduce pesticide use and allow farmers to increase their cotton yield.

Pink bollworms in a cotton boll (Source: US Dept. of Agriculture)

     The first approval for cotton cultivation of BT hybrids was given in 2002. BT cotton was created by a company known as Monsanto, and few promises the company made to Indian farmers have come true.  Monsanto made two main promises to India farmers about this strain of cotton; first that it would reduce the amount of pesticides farmers need to buy to control pests, second it would increase yield and thus income. This paper will discuss how the Monsanto company fell short of these promises and greatly affected many farmers lives.

    Currently, Bt cotton is being infested by the pink bollworm that has grown resistant to the bollgard-2 genetic trait, Monsanto promised this gene would protect the crop. “The resulting hybrids are hemizygous, which means they only express one copy of the Bt gene. This means that some seeds are toxic to the pink bollworm and some are not [2]”.  This is significant because the Bt seeds initially cost more money for the farmers and now are creating havoc on their farms as the pink bollworm infests the cotton. The Indian Government is now considering cutting the royalties to Monsanto as thousands of farms suffer the consequences of their actions. This is why it is important to thoroughly study the effectiveness of genetically modified organisms before mass producing them in order to make a profit. It is important that agricultural sectors create regulations that prevent farmers from suffering and declaring bankruptcy due to poor science such as we see with Bt cotton.

    Monsanto also promised farmers that Bt cotton would increase the annual yield of cotton. “After the introduction of Bt cotton, the yield almost doubled within six years. However, the decline in yield is only about 15 percent in the last six or seven years. Therefore, Bt cotton still outperforms conventional varieties [3]”.  This is significant because Monsanto did promise an increased yield, and this did occur in India. However, an economic analysis would need to be done to see if the increase yield outweighs the extra costs spent on the Bt cotton seeds and pesticide use. It seems that there is no easy answer when it comes to the use of Bt cotton. It can also be argued that the improvements in yield may have been due to improvements in infrastructure and agricultural practices within India.

Cotton fibers awaiting processing in a factory near Coimbatore, India (Photo: R. Sivanpillai)

    It can be argued that in some ways Bt cotton was successful. Interestingly, Bt cotton had success in some regions of India. Many states in recent years have reached record average yields. Farmers may have also lacked information on growing conditions, pesticide use, the importance of planting proper seeds and the earning to be expected from the plant. The lack of agricultural education could also play a part in the success of the cotton. Thus, more research will need to be conducted to understand the role agricultural education plays in sustainable cotton cultivation.

    Currently, over 90% of all the cotton grown in India is Bt cotton.  The intense use of Bt cotton has provided many problems for Indian farmers and these will continue to grow unless an affordable option is found. As an essential part of Indian economy, it is important that the government creates regulations preventing companies from false advertising of their products. Bt cotton has become a huge economic threat for India and farmers livelihoods, it is time that the government come to the aid of those affected by Monsanto.

Sources:

[1] “Genetically Modified Cotton.” Genetically Modified Cotton. Ontario, Canada : Canadian Biotechnology Action Network , 2013. www.cban.ca/cotton.

[2] “Indian Farmers Double Yields with Bt Cotton, but Pest Resistance Issues Complicate Its Advantages.” Genetic Literacy Project, August 6, 2018. https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2018/08/06/indian-farmers-double-yields-with-bt-cotton-but-pest-resistance-issues-complicate-its-advantages/.

[3] Pulla, Priyanka. “A Perfect Storm in the Cotton Field.” The Hindu. The Hindu, March 28, 2018. https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/a-perfect-storm-in-the-cotton-field/article23357894.ece.

Perspectives on Bt cotton in India

By: Chelsea Warren
April 2020 - Reflections on Bt cotton


Genetically modified Bt cotton seeds were first introduced to India by Monsanto, a United States agrochemical company, in 1993 through an Indian seed company, MAHYCO. It was not until 1998, when Monsanto and MAHYCO formed a joint-venture called MAHYCO-Monsanto Biotech that Bt cotton seeds started gaining popularity with Indian farmers. The seeds were advertised as something of a “cure-all” crop, expensive, but guaranteed to resist pests, decrease pesticide usage, and increase yields for struggling farmers all over India. Soon after Bt cotton took off, India did indeed see a dramatic increase in national average cotton yields, but in the years to follow there has been a great deal of controversy over whether Monsanto truly delivered on their promises to farmers.

There are many different perspectives on this issue, often with some organization or entity behind them, responsible for propagating their story. Some, portray the arrival and continued use of Bt cotton as a crisis for Indian farmers, brought on by immoral corporations and perpetuated by a negligent government. Others site the increased yields and reduced pesticide usage in some areas and claim Bt cotton as a great success. The farmers themselves also seem to be split on the issue.

Separating cotton seeds from fiber in Coimbatore, India (photo: R. Sivanpillai)

However, I think farmer opinion is of utmost importance here. It is their families and livelihoods at stake – factors which have been largely ignored by giant greedy corporations like Monsanto and their Indian business partners as well as the Indian government.

Since farmer opinion was my main focus, I tried to find real testimonials or interviews from farmers or families affected by Bt cotton. Most, if not all, of the “positive” content I found in support of Bt cotton or genetically modified seeds in general, were sponsored by an organization or corporation. The 2015 video titled, Understand Bt Cotton and Its Impact on the Sector, was produced by MAHYCO (Maharashtra Hybrid Seed Co.). Of course, this video presented a long list of benefits supposedly produced by Bt cotton. One of the first videos that appears when researching Bt cotton is a testimonial by a farmer in Sirsa, India, who talks a lot about the environmental benefits of Bt. The original video was created by the Cornell Alliance for Science who, as an organization, advocate the continued production and consumption of GMO’s and argue publicly against anti-GMO campaigns in India.

A well-known environmental activist, Vendana Shiva, is one of the biggest voices, along with her organization, Navdanya, against the use of GMO seeds in Indian farming. She encourages the cultivation of native seeds as a means of securing biodiversity and sustainability and many people, especially Indian women, are behind her movement. It is important to note that media played a huge role in convincing (or scamming) Indian farmers into buying genetically modified seeds in the first place. There were numerous advertisements made for Bt cotton, when it was being introduced, that promised prosperity.

So, who is telling the truth? In my opinion, Bt cotton seeds themselves are not to blame for the plight of the Indian farmer. Bt cotton seeds have proven to be effectively resistant against the pink bollworm, one of the main problem pests for Indian cotton crops. However, the most important component of this agricultural system, the farmer, was largely ignored by corporation and government. It is undeniable that farmers were not given enough information to guide their purchasing and cultivation of Bt cotton. Corporations like Monsanto do not have a moral compass by which they regulate their actions, especially not in countries where they are used to getting away with anything. This leaves the responsibility of educating and protecting cotton producers, who are in many cases uneducated, to the government. Farmers should have been told that the already expensive Bt seeds would have to be repurchased each year, that they would still have to use irrigation and pesticides for good yields, and that taking loans from private money lenders results in an inescapable mountain of debt. The Indian government had to know that the desperate financial circumstances farmers were already facing before the arrival of Bt cotton would drive them to try almost anything that promised results – in many cases without resources to understand the risks. They should have stepped in to protect their farming communities from corporate predation.

A Maharashtra Vacation

By: Thomas Gare
May 2020 - Fictional narrative reflection on Bt Cotton

Part I
     In May of 2004, my family and I decided to vacation in India to experience the culture of a different country. Additionally, my mother had always wanted to visit Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary, in Maharashtra (Central India) to photograph the Indian bison and elusive sloth bears. We read in a travel magazine that spring is a good time to see the animals lingering near bodies of water [1].

     Our flight from San Francisco to Singapore took 16 hours. We then boarded a 5-hour connecting flight to Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai. Our final destination was a luxury hotel in Satara, approximately 50 miles east of Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary and 150 miles south of the Mumbai. A bus service shuttled my family and I to the hotel. We planned to spend one night at the hotel before renting a car and driving to the sanctuary.

    Driving through the countryside was a pleasant experience. We watched the local cotton farmers sow cotton seeds in their fields in anticipation of the coming harvest season. The driver of the bus informed us that the farmers were eager to plant their seeds. Two years prior, in 2002, they purchased a new type of seed called ‘Bt cotton’ from the US-based Monsanto. Although the seeds were expensive, the 2002 harvest was successful, and the farmers were hoping for similar successful years.

     The bus driver repeated what he had heard

Cotton plant (Source: US Department of Agriculture)

from a Monsanto salesman. He told us that the high upfront cost of the seeds should be offset by a reduced demand for chemical pesticides and reduced losses from bollworm infestation. We watched out the window of the vehicle as the farmers sowed their new seed. They looked happy, and the local villages were bustling with people and street vendors. Everything seemed right with the world.

    Arriving at the hotel in Satara, we were served a dinner of roti, dal, and a mixed green salad. The staff shared some tips regarding local tourist attractions and popular areas to view bears and bison within the sanctuary. We thanked the staff for their advice and went to bed, eagerly anticipating the activities of the following day.

    The next morning, we rented a car and drove two and a half hours west to Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary. Our new hotel was located near the boundary of the sanctuary. After checking in, we purchased a map of the area and hopped back in the car. We made sure to mark the locations which were recommended by the hotel staff the night before. There was not enough time to search for wildlife before dark, so we simply made a plan for the next day’s adventures and returned to the hotel.

     Upon our return the next day, our primary goal was to locate a herd of Indian bison or a lone sloth bear. We eventually found our way back to a large watering hole and waited in the distance for one to appear.

    After eight hours of waiting, seeing nothing but mosquitos and other tourists, we decided to call it a day. As we started to turn the car around and drive back, we began to hear the sound of clicking camera shutters. The other tourists were all facing the same direction, towards one stand of trees about 50 yards away. We stopped the car and walked over to the other people. As we rounded a bend in the road, we instantly spotted the animals. Three adult bison and two calves were emerging from a tree line and slowly walking towards the water. My family and I stood in awe of the magnificent creatures. For the next hour, we watched the animals drink from the watering hole and graze the surrounding grass. In that moment, we decided to return to the park in the future to relive this amazing experience.


Part II
    Ten years later, in 2014, we returned to India for a second visit. Our first vacation to Maharashtra was so enjoyable that we deemed it worthy of a return trip. In planning our activities, we booked the same hotel in Satara and planned to search for sloth bears and Indian bison in Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary once again.  This time, however, was very different.

    Our flight took us from San Francisco to Singapore. After waiting three hours for our connecting flight, we boarded the plane to Mumbai. Although this would be our second visit to India, we were just as excited to experience the food, culture and scenery as the first trip.

    Landing at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, everything seemed normal. The same bus service picked us up outside the airport to drive us to Satara. Although the driver was different, he drove the same route.

    Driving through the Maharashtra countryside 10 years after our first visit, my family and I were shocked. The villages and people, once happy and energetic, now appeared to lack them. The atmosphere felt nothing like our first visit. Cotton farms which were once green and well-maintained were now shriveled and dry, with some appearing abandoned. Farmers moved more slowly, as if they felt their efforts were futile.

    After the bus dropped us off at the hotel, I walked back to the nearest farming village. Luckily, one of the older village children spoke broken English and I was able to ask her why the surrounding cotton fields were in such poor condition. Through a thick accent, she told me all about the recent decline of her family’s cotton plantation.

    The young girl told me that her father committed suicide in 2010. After receiving a loan to purchase a new type of cotton seed, he realized that he may never be able to repay his debt. The new seeds, called Bt cotton, were successful during their first two years of use; however, they soon began to fail. Pesticide use initially declined as the plants deterred bollworm infestation. But in the absence of bollworms, new pests took over. Farmers were required to purchase new types of pesticides for their crops, thus increasing their pre-existing debt.

    Additionally, the young girl’s father did not speak the language printed on the seed packages. He did not realize that the seeds lose vigor after only a few generations and then require new seeds to be purchased [2]. If he had known this, he would never have purchased the seeds in the first place.
To make matters worse, the farmer attempted to remove the Bt cotton plants and reintroduce the native variety. Unfortunately, however, the Bt cotton plants released toxins into the soil which prohibited other plants from growing [3]. It was at this point that the girl’s father took his own life. Other farmers in the village did the same. She told me that her mother has been struggling ever since.
My family and I were heartbroken by the news. We also felt saddened by the needlessness of the situation. Had Indian farmers not been scammed, the community may still be intact. If not for Monsanto, the girl’s father may still be alive.

Sources:

[1] “Complete Guide to Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary, Maharashtra.” Trans India Travels, Trans India Travels, 28 May 2018, www.transindiatravels.com/maharashtra/koyna-wildlife-sanctuary/.
 
[2] Ware, Daxton. Biotechnology and Insect Pest Management. ED-Tech Press, 2019. Indian Agricultural Research Institute.
 
[3] Yasin, Sanaullah, et al. “Impact of Bt-Cotton on Soil Microbiological and Biochemical Attributes.” Plant Production Science, vol. 19, no. 4, 2 June 2016, pp. 458–467.