GM crops Farmers' suicides in India

crop coverage of bio-tech cotton (also called bt cotton) , farmer suicides on time in madhya pradesh india, before , after introduction of bt cotton in 2002

in 2008, report published international food policy research institute, agriculture policy think tank based in washington dc, noted there absence of data relating numbers on actual share of farmers committing suicide cultivated cotton, let alone bt cotton. in order evaluate possible (and hypothetical) existence of connection study employed second-best assessment of evidence relating farmer suicides firstly, , effects of bt cotton secondly. analysis revealed there no clear general relationship between bt cotton , farmer suicides stated not reject potential role of bt cotton varieties in observed discrete increase in farmer suicides in states , years, during peak of 2004 in andhra pradesh , maharashtra. report noted farmer suicides predate official commercial introduction of bt cotton monsanto mahyco in 2002 (and unofficial introduction navbharat seeds in 2001) , such suicides constant portion of overall national suicide rate since 1997. report noted while bt cotton may have been factor in specific suicides, contribution marginal compared socio-economic factors. elsewhere, gruere et al. discuss introduction , increase in use of bt cotton in state of madhya pradesh since 2002, , observed drop in total suicides among state s farmers in 2006. question whether impact of increase in use of bt cotton on farmers suicide in madhya pradesh has been improve or worsen situation.

in 2011, review of evidence regarding relationship between bt cotton , farmers suicides in india published in journal of development studies, researchers ifpri, found available data show no evidence of resurgence of farmer suicides. moreover, bt cotton technology has been effective overall in india. matin qaim finds bt cotton controversial in india, irrespective of scholarly evidence. anti-biotech activist groups in india repeat claim there evidence of link between bt cotton , farmers suicides, claim perpetuated mass media. linking of farmers suicide , biotech industry has led negative opinions in public policy making process.

stone suggests arrival , expansion of gm cotton led campaign of misinformation, sides, exacerbating farmer s situation; activists have fuelled persistence of legend of failure , rejection of bt cotton sensational claims of livestock death , farmer suicide, while other side has been incorrectly pronouncing bt cotton major success based on literature inconclusive. cotton cash crop farmer s situation complex , continues evolve, suggests stone. gilbert, in 2013 article published in nature, states, contrary popular myth, introduction in 2002 of genetically modified bt cotton not associated rise in suicide rates among indian farmers .

in 2014 review, ian plewis states, available data not support view farmer suicides have increased following introduction of bt cotton. taking states together, there evidence support hypothesis reverse true: male farmer suicide rates have declined after 2005 having been increasing before .