
Conditions similar to the earlier prolonged agitation of farmers over the opposition to three controversial farm laws (which were later withdrawn by the government in a widely welcomed move) appear to be developing again in India. The government has announced farm produce marketing policy changes which have been criticized by farmers’ organizations as backdoor entry of the withdrawn three laws as these also promote big corporate influence in marketing. The earlier big farmer agitation on the borders of Delhi was preceded by smaller mobilizations particularly in Punjab, and this has also been seen in recent times.
This writer has always opposed increased corporate presence in farming, whether at the level of marketing or input supply, control over seeds or spread of GM crops, at the level of policy or land grabs. In fact a farm development strategy based on the dominance of Indian corporate interests or multinational companies will be a complete disaster for India. This writer has reached this conclusion of the basis of a careful study of world farming trends as well as the needs of India’s villages and small farmers, supported by visits to villages in many parts of India and dialogues with several experts including senior scientists. This writer favors the decentralized, self-reliant social agro-ecology approach, ie agro-ecology allied closely to the needs of farmers, including landless peasants, pursued as per the requirements of local conditions and enhancing the self-reliance of villagers while reducing their dependence.
On the basis of this understanding, this writer had extended his support to the previous farmers’ movement in many articles. However at the same this writer had also raised some significant questions regarding the demands raised by the farmers’ movement then. These questions centered on the inability of the farmers’ movement to give adequate importance to aspects such as protecting the environmental base of farming and opposing GM crops or opposing the growing control over the seed sector by multinational companies. These issues were raised only by smaller agro-ecology groups who had come to extend their support to the farmers’ movement and not by the mainstream farmers’ movement.
In fact in its later phase the farmers’ movement increasingly emphasized the demand mainly of minimum support price or MSP for farm produce, their demand linked to a formula contained in an officially prepared report chaired by a scientist who has been called the father, or at least the top technocratic leader, of the green revolution in India. In the post-movement phase also it was the MSP issue which was raised time and again by the various organizations of farmers. The government has also been giving several assurances and making some policy announcements regarding MSP which have evidently not satisfied these organizations, at policy as well as implementation levels.
However the main problem with an MSP centered approach without bothering much about the environmental base of farming is that this is likely to lead to more and more intensive cultivation practices within the green revolution technology framework which will degrade soil, water, biodiversity and overall environmental conditions further. After all, if farmers are promised that regardless of what happens to food and soil quality, or groundwater depletion, or longer-term sustainability, the government will definitely make available high price to farmers for all their produce, then there will be a strong incentive for farmers to further intensify farm operations which are degrading soil and water, harming environment, health and food safety with high doses of agro- chemicals, depleting bio-diversity and threatening sustainability.
On the other hand all these serious harms can be avoided, food quality and health can improve, sustainability can be strengthened, if farmers’ movements give high priority to protection of environment, and seek better net income for themselves within a framework of protection of environment. By reducing or avoiding agro-chemicals and improving self-reliance, they’ll reduce costs and if they can maintain yields at same levels, their net income will improve. As several farmers have already shown in highly creative ways, with natural farming, while giving up expensive agro-chemicals, they have been able to maintain or even increase productivity. Of course there are others who had initial difficulties and problems but after some time many of them also recovered well. The chances of success will no doubt improve with government help and encouragement. The chances of such healthier food fetching higher price are also higher, and will further improve with government support.
Therefore the farmers’ movement has much better prospects of improving the welfare of farmers on sustainable basis if it raises its demands for better economic returns within a framework of protecting environment and sustainability. After all, if farmers will not bother about protecting soil and water, who else will? Farmers’ movement in India should also firmly oppose the agenda of big multinational companies, led by the promotion of GM crops by them, to gain increasing control over the world food and farming system.
Bharat Dogra is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include India’s Quest for Sustainable Farming and Healthy Food, Protecting Earth for Children, Planet in Peril and A Day in 2071.