The arguments about GM crops show the folly of trying to understand technology as if it stood outside political and economic power. There is nothing intrinsically wicked about manipulating genes . . . What is wrong . . . is the use of this technology to exploit some of the poorest farmers . . . for the benefit of some of the richest corporations. The struggle between Monsanto and the Indian government shows this clearly.
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The seed has to be brought afresh every year, and from time to time the genetic recipe has to be tweaked as parasites develop an immunity to the originally grafted poisons. . . .
These two factors assure Monsanto of a steady income stream. That is offensive both to Indian nationalists and some Green activists. Certainly. . . extracting rents from farmers for the enrichment of foreign shareholders, fits into a long Indian history of such exploitation. . . But . . .history shows that . . . exploitation of poor farmers does not result from technology. It is oppressive landlords, heavy taxes and rapacious money-lenders who grind them into the dust.
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Read full, original post: The Guardian view on GM cotton: handle with care
