viewing of the documentary

First, based solely on your viewing of the documentary, answer this question – ’Who do you think bears most responsibility for this problem, and what do you think should be done to reduce the number of farmer suicides?’

Monsanto Company is reliable for the high suicide rates among the Indian farmers. Monsanto was responsible for selling biotech seeds that involve cotton tweaked to have Bt pesticides. Bt cotton is now used in most of India’s cotton farms, which is over 90% percent of farms. Most of the farmers generally rely on rainfall because they lack an irrigation system. Most of India’s farmers rely on money lenders who charge high-interest rates that leave the farmers with nothing to offer except their land. For instance, when the production fails, and they have nothing to pay back, it causes stress among the farmers, eventually leading to suicide since they have lost everything.

The measures that should be taken about farmer’s suicide are that farmers should be educated about loans. They should be educated about private money lenders and their disadvantages. The farmers should be educated about modern farming techniques and practices that farmers should engage in. The measures that should be practiced to help the farmers include making farm loans at an affordable interest to be available to every farmer. Farm loans should be accessible to farmers to eradicate suicide among the farmers.

What does each of the articles identify as the primary cause behind the rise in farmer suicides?

One of the articles attached is the seeds of wrath that state that the cause of suicide among the farmers is debt and the crops’ failure. In the article, John describes farming as gambling because he believes that once an individual in debt, he/she must continue to farm.

In the second article, Mother Jones India described Bt cotton as the seed of suicide since it caused suicide among the farmers, especially after its introduction. According to the article, suicide among the farmers is caused by heavy borrowing of loans that they cannot pay back, resulting in suicide. According to the third article, Monsanto response the Bt seeds are not the only cause of suicide among the farmers. The article states other reasons such as reliable credit, government policy, and lack of irrigation facilities as other reasons for high suicide rates among the farmers. The fourth article Monsanto, response “Is Bt or GMO Cotton the reason for Indian Farmer Suicides? Talks about the farmer’s kids receiving better education and intake of nutritious foods. The article never talks about why there are a lot of suicide incidents among the farmers in India. In conclusion, all three articles agreed that most farmers are in debt and didn’t have enough money to pay the loans, resulting in suicide among the farmers.

Which of these explanations do you find most convincing? Why?

The article the seed of wrath has the most convincing explanation since it even gives an example of a farmer’s situation. The article talks about Rameka’s husband, who died because he was in debt, as in most Indian farmers. The cause of Rameka’s husband’s death is a result of his seed failure and debt that he owed to a moneylender.

Monopolization is another issue that the article highlights as the main issue leading to high suicide rates in India. Monsanto monopolized the Indian market by introducing seeds that required a lot of water. Most farmers lack irrigation schemes, and therefore there was the failure of the crops, which ultimately resulted in suicide among the farmers.

Which of these explanations do you find least convincing? Why?

The article with the least explanation is the Monsanto response, “Is Bt or GMO Cotton the reason for Indian Farmer Suicide”? The article does not explain the reason behind the rise of suicide among the farmers. The article describes the importance of Monsanto, such as its commitment to improving people’s lives. The article fails to explain why many farmers commit suicide, but rather it talks about the farmer’s kids’ education.

Having now read the readings, read the final one – India’s solution to this problem. Do you think this is a significant step in the right direction? Is it enough?

The government step in solving suicide rates is a good starting point for future policies. The arrangement to be implemented by the Indian government is not good enough. Still, it can be a starting point in solving the high suicide rates among the farmers, and it can help the farmers to reclaim the full values in case of any damage. Reclaiming their maximum values helps the farmers to reduce the stress that results from crop failure.

Finally, I would like you to think of a core concept in the class textbook. In trying to think about globalization and complex global issues coming together in one place, what we put at the center of our focus is critical. Do we value the sustainability of the planet, people, or the economy as the most important thing? In the case of cotton growing, especially genetically modified cotton grown in India, what do you feel is the most important thing to focus on and the biggest challenge to overcome. Support your answer with a reference or two to strengthen your argument.

The valuing sustainability of the planet, people, or the economy is a difficult task since it needs the cooperation of the people to cooperate as a unit. Humans require the planet to survive and thrive in it. According to Specter (2020), the constant use of pesticides and fertilizers and inadequate water supply cause a burden on the planet. The article “the seeds of Wrath” states that BT cotton must be used together with pesticides that usually affect the planet. Therefore, they are ruining the planet that humans require to survive and thrive on.

REFERENCES

Specter, M. (2020). Seeds of Doubt. The New Yorker. Retrieved 13 December 2020, from https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/08/25/seeds-of-doubt.