Farmers alarmed at proposed laws threatening traditional seeds and biodiversity

By A Representative

Farmer groups and civil society organizations across India have raised strong objections to the government’s proposed amendments to the , and voiced concern over the yet-to-be-released . They allege that the proposed changes threaten farmers’ rights, , and national control over India’s genetic resources.

The protests come as India prepares for negotiations at the upcoming Governing Body Meeting of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), scheduled in from November 24 to 29, 2025, where proposals are expected to expand international access to all plant genetic resources and their Digital Sequence Information (DSI).

Critics argue that the amendments align more with the interests of multinational agribusinesses than those of Indian farmers, potentially eroding national sovereignty and agricultural self-reliance. The inclusion of “” in the new Seed Bill has sparked additional alarm, with farmer groups warning that it could pave the way for , threatening both the integrity of traditional seed systems and ecological health.

The Bharat Beej Swaraj Manch (BBSM), a national alliance of farmers and seed savers, has accused the government of prioritizing corporate interests over farmers in recent stakeholder consultations organized by the PPVFR Authority. They contend that the process lacked transparency and excluded farmer voices until the final stages. BBSM has also criticized India’s failure to maintain a registry of “” — traditional seed varieties that should be protected from private ownership — and demanded immediate corrective measures.

Farmer networks have called on the government to halt the proposed PPVFR amendments, disclose the full contents of the Seed Bill, and ensure that any legislative changes strengthen rather than weaken farmers’ rights. They also demand the protection of all plant genetic resources and their DSI from intellectual property claims, and a full audit of the .

Warning against the ongoing corporatization of global agriculture, the groups emphasized that over half of the world’s seed trade is already dominated by four major multinational corporations, and India should not surrender its heritage of biodiversity and seed sovereignty to external control.

BBSM and allied organizations are mobilizing nationwide campaigns to demand transparency, public consultations, and the upholding of India’s long-standing commitment to farmers’ rights and biodiversity conservation.

Comments

Whither space for the marginalised in Kerala's privately-driven townships after landslides?

By Ipshita Basu, Sudheesh R.C. In the early hours of July 30 2024, a landslide in the Wayanad district of Kerala state, India, killed 400 people. The Punjirimattom, Mundakkai, Vellarimala and Chooralmala villages in the Western Ghats mountain range turned into a dystopian rubble of uprooted trees and debris.

From algorithms to exploitation: New report exposes plight of India's gig workers

By Jag Jivan The recent report, "State of Finance in India Report 2024-25," released by a coalition including the Centre for Financial Accountability, Focus on the Global South, and other organizations, paints a stark picture of India's burgeoning digital economy, particularly highlighting the exploitation faced by gig workers on platform-based services.

Gig workers hold online strike on republic day; nationwide protests planned on February 3

By A Representative Gig and platform service workers across the country observed a nationwide online strike on Republic Day, responding to a call given by the Gig & Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU) to protest what it described as exploitation, insecurity and denial of basic worker rights in the platform economy. The union said women gig workers led the January 26 action by switching off their work apps as a mark of protest.

'Condonation of war crimes against women and children’: IPSN on Trump’s Gaza Board

By A Representative The India-Palestine Solidarity Network (IPSN) has strongly condemned the announcement of a proposed “Board of Peace” for Gaza and Palestine by former US President Donald J. Trump, calling it an initiative that “condones war crimes against children and women” and “rubs salt in Palestinian wounds.”

India’s road to sustainability: Why alternative fuels matter beyond electric vehicles

By Suyash Gupta* India’s worsening air quality makes the shift towards clean mobility urgent. However, while electric vehicles (EVs) are central to India’s strategy, they alone cannot address the country’s diverse pollution and energy challenges.

With infant mortality rate of 5, better than US, guarantee to live is 'alive' in Kerala

By Nabil Abdul Majeed, Nitheesh Narayanan In 1945, two years prior to India's independence, the current Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, was born into a working-class family in northern Kerala. He was his mother’s fourteenth child; of the thirteen siblings born before him, only two survived. His mother was an agricultural labourer and his father a toddy tapper. They belonged to a downtrodden caste, deemed untouchable under the Indian caste system.

Jayanthi Natarajan "never stood by tribals' rights" in MNC Vedanta's move to mine Niyamigiri Hills in Odisha

By A Representative The Odisha Chapter of the Campaign for Survival and Dignity (CSD), which played a vital role in the struggle for the enactment of historic Forest Rights Act, 2006 has blamed former Union environment minister Jaynaynthi Natarjan for failing to play any vital role to defend the tribals' rights in the forest areas during her tenure under the former UPA government. Countering her recent statement that she rejected environmental clearance to Vendanta, the top UK-based NMC, despite tremendous pressure from her colleagues in Cabinet and huge criticism from industry, and the claim that her decision was “upheld by the Supreme Court”, the CSD said this is simply not true, and actually she "disrespected" FRA.

Stands 'exposed': Cavalier attitude towards rushed construction of Char Dham project

By Bharat Dogra* The nation heaved a big sigh of relief when the 41 workers trapped in the under-construction Silkyara-Barkot tunnel (Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand) were finally rescued on November 28 after a 17-day rescue effort. All those involved in the rescue effort deserve a big thanks of the entire country. The government deserves appreciation for providing all-round support.

Over 40% of gig workers earn below ₹15,000 a month: Economic Survey

By A Representative The Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, while reviewing the Economic Survey in Parliament on Tuesday, highlighted the rapid growth of gig and platform workers in India. According to the Survey, the number of gig workers has increased from 7.7 million to around 12 million, marking a growth of about 55 percent. Their share in the overall workforce is projected to rise from 2 percent to 6.7 percent, with gig workers expected to contribute approximately ₹2.35 lakh crore to the GDP by 2030. The Survey also noted that over 40 percent of gig workers earn less than ₹15,000 per month.

Search This Blog