‘Act of war on agriculture’: Aruna Rodrigues slams GM crop expansion and regulatory apathy

By Rosamma Thomas*

Expressing appreciation to the Union Agriculture Minister for inviting suggestions from farmers and concerned citizens on the sharp decline in cotton crop productivity, Aruna Rodrigues—lead petitioner in the Supreme Court case ongoing since 2005 that seeks a moratorium on genetically modified (GM) crops—wrote to Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on July 14, 2025, stating that conflicts of interest have infiltrated India’s regulatory system like a spreading cancer, including within the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR).

“The result is that the agenda of the biotech industry, Bayer-Monsanto/Syngenta, is being executed in Indian agriculture to fully prepare it for GM crops, including genetic editing and herbicide-tolerant (HT) rice varieties by mutagenesis,” she wrote.

Rodrigues alleges that the regulatory body “has deliberately orchestrated a situation to allow illegal Bt crops including Bt brinjal, illegal GMO imports, illegal HTBt cotton cultivated domestically on a commercial scale for 15 years, illegal GM seed imports in soy, GMOs in processed food…” She lists these alongside “failed Bt hybrid cotton,” which she says has driven many farmers to suicide due to distress. Cottonseed oil and cottonseed cake, used in animal feed, have further contributed to contamination of the food chain.

It is significant that in 2010, the Central government imposed an indefinite moratorium on Bt brinjal after discovering it was approved for commercial cultivation without undergoing biosafety testing.

Rodrigues describes as the “most unacceptable move” the introduction of herbicide tolerance in rice varieties through mutagenesis and genetic editing, warning that this threatens to contaminate foundational seed stock, erode heirloom rice varieties, and jeopardize an export market valued at $12 billion. She recalls that the Supreme Court-appointed independent technical expert committee twice recommended prohibiting HT crops, both in general and for crops for which India is a centre of origin. India, as the origin of over 80,000 rice varieties, holds particular significance.

“The vacuum in regulation is so brazen that our regulators have the temerity to target India’s most precious crop, rice,” she writes.

“This is an open act of war on Indian agriculture and our farming community; a rank betrayal of our farming systems and our nation and is straightforwardly antinational,” she wrote to the minister, adding, “I would be happy to expound on these matters along with leading civil society farmers’ representatives if you so wish, and at your convenience.”

She also notes that the evidence she presented to the minister has been submitted to the Supreme Court.

Rodrigues enclosed with her note research by Prof Andrew Gutierrez of the University of California, Berkeley, which explores the failure of Bt cotton and proposes remedies. Drawing on 50 years of experience with HT crops in the US, Rodrigues cites several findings.

HT crops have led to the rise of super weeds resistant to herbicides, affecting about a quarter of all US cropland. Weed control and seed costs have spiked. According to the US Geological Survey, herbicide use increased tenfold between 1992 and 2012. HT crops are unsuitable for India’s small-holder farms and were designed for monoculture. This threatens the survival of herbs and plants used in Ayurvedic medicine. Over one lakh cases are now pending in US courts, alleging that glyphosate—a widely used weedkiller—is linked to cancer. More than $1 billion has already been awarded in compensation.

In May 2025, the Union Agriculture Ministry (now also titled the Ministry for Farmer Welfare) launched the ‘Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan’—“Determined to Have Developed Agriculture Movement.” As part of this initiative, scientists will travel across India to share research and technical knowledge, while farmers are invited to voice their challenges. However, the accompanying press release suggests the government does not envision farmers as solution-providers to the problems they endure.

Nevertheless, the minister previously invited cotton-growing farmers to call in suggestions on a toll-free number: 18001801551.

India, the world’s second-largest cotton producer after China, saw peak cotton output in 2013–14 at 398 lakh bales. But erratic weather, pest infestations such as the tobacco streak virus (TSV), and poor-quality seeds have driven a productivity decline. This year, domestic cotton production may fall short of national demand, potentially necessitating imports from Australia, Brazil, and Egypt.

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*Freelance journalist

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