13

Dependency & Distress: The Story of Bt Cotton in India

Colin Todhunter

In the early 2000s, genetically modified (GM) Bt insecticidal cotton was being heavily promoted in India on the basis that it would cut pesticide use dramatically, boost yields and contribute to the financial well-being of farmers. Private sector Bt cotton hybrids now cover over 90% of the area under cotton.

Supporters of Bt cotton have wasted little time in claiming that GM technology has increased cotton yields, reduced pesticide use and has been of enormous benefit to farmers due to increased crop profitability. If we consider Prof Glenn Stone’s 2012 paper ‘Constructing Facts: Bt Cotton Narratives in India’, however, it becomes clear that such claims are too often weaved from flawed data and studies and merely serve to bolster vested interests.

In an attempt to shed further light on the role of Bt cotton in India, Glenn Stone (Washington University in St Louis) and his colleague K R Kranthi (International Cotton Advisory Committee) have jointly authored a new paper – ‘Long-term impacts of Bt Cotton in India’ – that appears in the journal Nature Plants (March 2020). Unlike previous assessments, the paper is quite unique as it is based on a long-term analysis that spans a period of 20 years.

While proponents of Bt cotton say that GM technology is responsible for tripling cotton production between 2002 (when Bt cotton was commercialised in India) and 2014, Stone argues that the largest production gains came prior to widespread GM seed adoption and must be viewed in line with changes in fertilisation practices and other pest population dynamics.

Stone says:

“There are two particularly devastating caterpillar pests for cotton in India, and, from the beginning, Bt cotton did control one of them: the (misnamed) American bollworm. It initially controlled the other one, too – the pink bollworm – but that pest quickly developed resistance and now it is a worse problem than ever.”

He adds that Bt plants were highly vulnerable to other insect pests that proliferated as more and more farmers adopted the crop.

According to Stone:

“Farmers are now spending much more on insecticides than before they had ever heard of Bt cotton. And the situation is worsening.”

Although yields in all crops jumped in 2003, the increase was especially large in cotton.

However, Stone says:

“… Bt cotton had virtually no effect on the rise in cotton yields because it accounted for less than 5% of India’s cotton crop at the time.”

Stone argues that any changes in productivity have more to do with huge increases in insecticides and fertilisers and that farmers in India are now spending more on seeds, more on fertiliser and more on insecticides.

So, what has been the overall impact of Bt cotton in India?

Stone says that Bt cotton’s primary impact on agriculture will be its role in making farming more capital-intensive, rather than any enduring agronomic benefits. And this conclusion appears to confirm what others have been saying in recent years.

During a September 2019 media event in Delhi, for instance, Aruna Rodrigues and Vandana Shiva showed that pesticide use is back to pre-Bt levels and yields have stagnated or are falling. Moreover, they noted that some 31 countries rank above India in terms of cotton yield and of these only 10 grow GM cotton. They concluded that farmers now find themselves on a (capital-intensive) chemical-biotech treadmill and have to deal with an increasing number of Bt/insecticide resistant pests and rising costs of production.

Their data indicated that overall net profit for cotton farmers in the pre-Bt era had plummeted to average net losses in 2015, while fertiliser use kg/ha had exhibited a 2.2-fold increase. As Bt technology was being rolled out, costs of production were thus increasing. And these costs have increased in the face of stagnant yields. They too indicated that increased fertiliser and insecticides along with high-yielding hybrid trait value (independent of Bt technology) and increased acreage under cotton cultivation were responsible for any increase in productivity.

In fact, based on his own research, Prof A P Gutierrez argues that Bt cotton has effectively put many farmers in a corporate noose. Although Bt cotton hybrids perform better under irrigation, 66% of cotton in India is cultivated in rain fed areas, where yields depend on the timing and quantity of highly variable monsoon rains. Unreliable rains, the high costs of Bt hybrid seed, continued insecticide use and debt have placed many poor (marginal) smallholder farmers in a situation of severe financial hardship.

Based on extensive field research in India, cultural anthropologist Andrew Flachs argues that independent cultivators have become dependent on corporate products, including off-farm commodified corporate knowledge. In the past, they cultivated, saved and exchanged seeds; now, as far as cotton cultivation is concerned, they must purchase GM hybrid seeds (and necessary chemical inputs) each year.

While Bt cotton farmers are losing their traditional knowledge and skills due to increasing market dependency, they are now trapped in a scenario of debt and rising input costs. In the meantime, maybe one in four seasons a farmer will attain a good enough yield to break even. Flachs notes that negotiating risk and gambling on seeds, weather and pesticide use have become an integral part of the corporate cotton seed and chemical treadmill.

It all begs the question: just who has benefitted from Bt cotton? For the answer to this, let us turn to Imran Siddiqi from the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology in Hyderabad, who notes that India opted to use hybrids seeds for Bt technology. Hybrids are made by crossing two parent strains having different genetic characters and the plants have more biomass than both parents and capacity for greater yields. But they also require more inputs, including fertiliser and water, and require suboptimal planting (more space).

Siddiqi notes that all other cotton-producing countries grow cotton not as hybrids but varieties for which seeds are produced by self-fertilisation. He argues that the advantages of non-hybrids are considerable: twice the productivity, half the fertiliser, reduced water requirement and less vulnerability to pest damage due to a shorter field duration. He concludes that agricultural distress is extremely high among Indian cotton farmers and the combination of high input and high risk has likely been a contributing factor.

The introduction of hybrids disallowed seed saving, forcing farmers to purchase new, expensive hybrid Bt cotton seed each year, as hybridisation – unlike pure line varieties – affords one-time vigour. The use of hybrids in India gave pricing control to seed companies and Monsanto that issued licenses for the technology, while ensuring a continuous market.

When viewed in this light, Bt hybrid cotton technology has been integral to what veteran rural reporter P Sainath terms the ‘predatory commercialisation of the countryside’ by corporate interests. Its main role from the outset has been value capture and the creation of market dependency. It this respect, Bt cotton has been an outstanding success.

SUPPORT OFFGUARDIAN

If you enjoy OffG's content, please help us make our monthly fund-raising goal and keep the site alive.

For other ways to donate, including direct-transfer bank details click HERE.

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

13 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
anjali tiwari
anjali tiwari
Nov 10, 2020 11:59 AM

Want to study NCERT? NCERT Solutions for Class 6 to 12 as per the CBSE Syllabus 2020-21. All Subject and Chapter-wise, detailed solutions to the questions of the NCERT textbooks are available. For more details, Visit: https://www.aakash.ac.in/ncert-solutions/

Katherine Green
Katherine Green
Mar 15, 2020 11:50 AM

Thank you!…finally an answer to why all the mata jis are wearing plastic sarees and no shops are selling pure cotton any more(and lying to say that it IS cotton)…please bring back real organic cotton capris…please please please…and chuck out monsanto before its too late😆

Richard Le Sarc
Richard Le Sarc
Mar 15, 2020 7:46 AM

I saw P. Sainath years ago at a public lecture on the subject of ‘Nero’s Dinner Party’. It’s well worth looking up. A documentary called ‘Nero’s Guests’ has been made about the subject.

Rhys Jaggar
Rhys Jaggar
Mar 15, 2020 6:09 AM

Monsanto does not have a patent on cotton per se, merely on BT cotton seeds (which unless they have updated it, the original 20 years patent lifetime will have run out anyway).

To break the cycle, what is needed is investment in traditional seeds and simply telling Monsanto to **** Off.

Corporations are very cold about death of others.

I wonder how cool top executives would be about deaths very close to home?

Binra
Binra
Mar 16, 2020 3:12 PM
Reply to  Rhys Jaggar

Seeds of Destruction by F William Engdahl provides a rather stark account of the Mafia of a principally US led Corp-Gov weaponisation and control of the global food supply. I chose Mafia – because its methods are the same beneath the PR of Green revolutions, Feeding the World and etc.
Inducements to addictive and destructive dependency, is part hype and a lot of greased handshakes that are ratified into legal agreements or regulatory frameworks.
That people can be induced to sell themselves and their fellow beings into slavery or subjection can work through a narrative of self-vindication or self-specialness, offered as favour to their ambition.

The glyphosate law suits are a way to limit these people where it hurts – but in anticipation – perhaps the liability of Monsanto was sold to its old rival Bayer.
When Bayer’s patent ran out for aspirin in 1917, Monsanto quickly became the major world producer an supper of what may have been the most significant cause of death in what is historically assigned to ‘flu’ from Spain but matched massive mandatory vaccinations of several diseases at once to the soldiery and then as ‘protection’ to the civilians for the diseased returning soldiery. The ‘viral panic’ resulted in massive overdosing of the new panacea. It is the privilege of the diagnosing authority to determine that the results of treatments are attributable to the disease.

So basically if something is asserted perfectly safe and effective – flag at least an alert to educate ourselves. And anything demonised – be open to that it may simply be a rival to business profits or exposure to responsibilities that diminish profits and the ability to set the narrative as credible authorities – backed by regulatory enforcement.

The last part is key – because those with money and intent to buy undue influence can get the state to heavily enforce even minor regulatory infringements as a way to shut down those who don’t accept their favours or ‘protection’.

Fair dinkum
Fair dinkum
Mar 15, 2020 5:18 AM

It’s time to criminalise the ‘ownership’ of Life, corporate monopolies and corporate cartels.
Where’s the UN when they’re really needed?

Gall
Gall
Mar 15, 2020 5:03 AM

Personally I don’t understand why a nation with so many people starving and suffering of malnutrition would devote so much acreage to cotton.

Vierotchka
Vierotchka
Mar 15, 2020 5:23 AM
Reply to  Gall

1.339 billion people need clothes, sheets, etc.

What are the uses of cotton in India?

Uses of Cotton

– It is basically used for every type of clothing from jackets to normal shirts.
– In home,it finds its use in bed sheets and curtains.
– Its seed oil is used in food and cosmetics.
– It is also used in coffee filters.
– It’s seeds are fed to cattle and crushed to make oil,rubber and plastics.

https://byjus.com/chemistry/cotton-cultivation/

cbse
cbse
Oct 16, 2020 10:59 AM
Reply to  Vierotchka

Use of cotton either in india or somewhere else, it is very important part of everyday life. And what do you think is it not necessary for everyone in this world. You gave rally nice information here, but what about https://www.cbsepractice.in/solutions/chemistry-12-solid-state-chapter-exercise-1/ solutions make important role in making of cotton useful.
Raw cotton will not play any kind of important role in it.

Antonym
Antonym
Mar 15, 2020 3:01 AM

Indian textile industry still needs more cotton, so it imports a lot: from China, the US and UAE.

Vierotchka
Vierotchka
Mar 14, 2020 11:11 PM

Excerpt:

In 1995, Monsanto introduced its Bt technology in India through a joint-venture with the Indian company Mahyco. In 1997-98, Monsanto started open field trials of its GMO Bt cotton illegally and announced that it would be selling the seeds commercially the following year. India has rules for regulating GMOs since 1989, under the Environment Protection Act. It is mandatory to get approval from the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee under the ministry of environment for GMO trials. The Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology sued Monsanto in the Supreme Court of India and Monsanto could not start the commercial sales of its Bt cotton seeds until 2002.
And, after the damning report of India’s parliamentary committee on Bt crops in August 2012, the panel of technical experts appointed by the Supreme Court recommended a 10-year moratorium on field trials of all GM food and termination of all ongoing trials of transgenic crops.

But it had changed Indian agriculture already.

Monsanto’s seed monopolies, the destruction of alternatives, the collection of superprofits in the form of royalties, and the increasing vulnerability of monocultures has created a context for debt, suicides and agrarian distress which is driving the farmers’ suicide epidemic in India. This systemic control has been intensified with Bt cotton. That is why most suicides are in the cotton belt.

Source: https://www.globalresearch.ca/the-seeds-of-suicide-how-monsanto-destroys-farming/5329947

(This article was originally published in April 2013)

Vierotchka
Vierotchka
Mar 14, 2020 11:02 PM

I have very long had the greatest admiration and respect for Dr. Vandana Shiva

Dr Vandana Shiva on Seed Freedom

10 Jan 2019

Also read: Monsanto Does Not have a Patent on Bt Cotton Seeds: The Supreme Court Ruling Upheld India’s Law, not Monsanto’s False Claims on Patents on Seeds: https://bit.ly/2LZ9CIV

JohnB
JohnB
Mar 16, 2020 12:08 AM
Reply to  Vierotchka

Om Shiva !