A Wake-Up Call on Proprietary Seeds

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE THE HINDU CHENNAI THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2019 OPED 9 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE A wake-up call on proprietary seeds The anatomy of a How India can shift its agriculture from a high-yield ideal to a high-value one marginalised region “improved”, proprietary varieties . Currently, in the garb of protecting With a high percentage of Muslims, Bihar’s Seemanchal this diversity against biopiracy, India region frames issues of representation and welfare is preventing its effective use, man agement and monetisation for the political ghettoisation of Muslims have given benefit of its farmers. rise to identity politics in Bihar. In recent Mrinalini Kochupillai & Second, an immutable record years, polarisation has demonstrated that a Gregory Radick keeping system, perhaps blockchain party can secure majority votes without ac or DLT, is needed to break the link commodating Muslims. Such political non between the profitable and the pro mobilisation of Muslims has resulted in two When the news broke that PepsiCo prietary. Such a system would allow Shahana Munazir things. One, it has led to the idea that Mus was suing small farmers in India for India and its rural communities to lims are a homogenised community who growing a potato variety that is used keep proper track of where and how root their politics in religion. Two, it has led in its Lay’s chips, popular sympath their seeds/propagation materials In the ongoing general election, Seeman to Muslims relegating themselves to the ies immediately went, of course, to and the genetic resources contained chal, a historically neglected and yet socially background of active politics. the farmers. National and interna therein are being transferred and and politically significant region in Bihar, has tional pressure swiftly mounted, and traded. It would also ensure, through once again registered a high voting percen A welfarist agenda in short order a humbled PepsiCo smartcontract facilitated micropay tage. Comprising four districts — Purnea, Ka This should stop with Seemanchal . Despite backtracked, announcing its with ments, that monetary returns come tihar, Kishanganj and Araria — Seemanchal constituting a high percentage of the voting drawal of the lawsuit. There was glo “Where farmers could be using genetically distinctive seeds adapted to local in from users and buyers of these has a population of about 1 crore. It assumes population in the region, Muslims have not bal schadenfreude at Goliath’s PR conditions, they are adapting local conditions to use genetically standardised seeds, from around the globe. These sociopolitical significance owing to the large been able to assert themselves. As a result, disaster and, in India, pride at being seeds, to ruinous effect.” A farmer in Jammu. * REUTERS monetary returns would effectively proportion of Muslims in its population. On parties have used them as bait to get para on the side of the righteous Davids. incentivise continuous cultivation average, these districts have 47% Muslims as chute candidates elected. These candidates What should not be a source of source of the seeds is. This broad productive material that does not ful and improvement of indigenous against Bihar’s Statewide average of 17% and secure votes in the name of protecting a mis pride, however, is the fact that so ma permission (called farmers’ privi fil the variety definition... that there seeds on the one hand, and ensure the allIndia average of 14%. In this election, understood and universal idea of ‘Muslim ny small farmers are, like the ones lege) is considered indispensable for could be benefits of using such di sustainable growth of agriculture of the nine Muslim candidates who have identity’ and not to improve their welfare in targeted by PepsiCo, reliant, directly socalled seed sovereignty, which verse material… to reduce the spread and of rural communities on the been chosen by different parties in Bihar, the region. For example, Asaduddin Owaisi’s or indirectly, on proprietary seeds. has become synonymous with per of diseases, to improve resilience other. five are contesting from constituencies in All India MajliseIttehadul Muslimeen (AI Typically these seeds are grown in mitting farmers to save, sow, multip and to increase biodiversity.” Accord Third, and as a key prerequisite to Seemanchal. The region is a fertile ground MIM) contested in the region in the 2015 As high input (fertilizerpesticideirriga ly and use proprietary seeds, as well ingly, the regulation removes the le the execution of the first two plans , for political parties that pit Hindus against sembly election, but it failed to win even a tion) environments that, over time, as proprietary vegetative propaga gal bar on marketing of “heteroge India’s invaluable traditional ecologi Muslims. single seat. Yet, again the AIMIM has pinned erode local biodiversity. Between the tion materials such as what are used nous materials” and encourages its cal knowledge systems need to be re its hopes on Akhtarul Iman from Kishanganj expense of buying these seeds and for the cultivation of potatoes. Des sale for organic agriculture, thus vived and made a part of mainstream Continued neglect this time. These Muslim parties have failed to inputs, and the loss of the skills and pite the shift away from seed replace clearing the way to much more ex agricultural research, education and It may have political and symbolic value, but gain a stronghold in the region because Mus social relationships needed to do ment to the right to save seeds, the pansive use of indigenous varieties. extension services. Knowhow con Seemanchal fares poorly on welfare indices. lim voters have opted for a welfarist agenda otherwise (through the saving and emphasis remains on proprietary Once the delegated acts under the tained in ancient Indian treatises like It is an example of political apathy towards and not one that is centred on their religious exchange of seeds of indigenous va seeds that have narrow, uniform and EU regulation are formulated, they the Vrikshayurveda and the Krishi the minorities. According to Census data, the identity alone. rieties), smallscale farming looks set nonvariable genetic builds. Where will support the creation of markets, Parashar falls within the scope of average literacy rate of the four districts is Further, even within the Muslim com to continue on its downward spiral of farmers could be using genetically especially markets and marketplaces what international conventions such 54% as against Bihar’s average of 64%. The munity, there is marginalisation of backward lower income, status and dignity. distinctive seeds adapted to local facilitating trade of heterogenous as the Convention on Biological Di average per capita district GDP of the region Muslims such as the Pasmandas who are re conditions and farming traditions, seeds, including by small farmers versity refer to as ‘indigenous and is ₹10,000, while it is ₹14,574 for the State. In presented not by their own but by the upper It’s time for a paradigm shift they are instead adapting local condi who are currently the most active in traditional technologies’. The revival districts with a higher density of Muslims, caste Ashrafs. Since the 1990s, the assertion No one can blame farmers for think tions and traditions in order to use maintaining and improving such of these technologies is central to the situation is worse. For example, in Kish of rights by groups such as the Pasmanda ing that proprietary seeds are better. genetically standardised seeds, to seeds in situ. Indeed, multimillion promoting sustainable ‘high value’ anganj, with a 68% Muslim population, near Muslims paved the way for inclusivism and Since the days of the Green Revolu ruinous effect. Euro research and innovation pro agriculture, not least because of the ly 50% live below the poverty line. social justice. In this context, Seemanchal tion, agricultural extension officers — It is time for a paradigm shift. To jects being invited and funded by the growing global demand for organic The socioeconomic indicators may be can be a fertile ground for the emergence of the field representatives of agricultu get a sense of what can be done, it EU already aim to make this diversity and Ayurvedic products. woeful, but there has been remarkable en rightsbased politics. The struggle of Pas ral modernity — have taught farmers may be useful to take a peep into re a more integral part of farming in Eu The withdrawal of the lawsuit by thusiasm in electoral participation, seen in mandas and their underrepresentation in to buy everhigheryielding seeds . cent regulatory efforts in Europe. rope. And here they are talking only PepsiCo may be a welcome relief to the last six general elections. This year, See politics have been largely ignored . In See

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