Seeds of Suicide

Disturbing exposé on the plight of cotton farmers in India: Seeds of Suicide. Many farmers are persuaded to buy genetically modified (GMO*) seeds, which haven't been properly tested for ease of growing and crop production. These GMO seeds can cost more than five times the amount of traditional cotton seeds, and require costly pesticides, fertilizers, and more water than non-GMOs. GMO seeds are patented, and are not allowed to be saved by farmers for next season's planting. Most farmers are forced to borrow money to buy GMO seeds, pesticides, and fertilizers. When crops fail and the moneylenders come knocking, some farmers are shamed and desperate enough to look for a way out: suicide by drinking their own pesticides.

Some are now turning to organic cotton. Organic methods produce lower yields, but much less risk to the farmer, because they often don't need to borrow money to start their crop, and can save seeds to plant for the next season. For more information and background, go to Frontline.

*Genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, are plants or animals that have had genes (heritable material) permanently added to them to produce desirable traits, like disease resistance, drought tolerance, or increased size of fruit. GMOs are akin to gene therapy, introducing genes into living human cells to cure disease, in which there can be great benefit, but also risk if not carefully planned out and monitored. Watch my blog for an upcoming post with a more in-depth description of GMOs, and possible risks and benefits.