21.03.2012 | permalink
Ten years after Bt cotton first made its appearance in India, the Coalition for GM-free India has demanded a comprehensive review of the policy. Releasing a report here titled “10 years of Bt Cotton in India: false hype and failed promises”, the Coalition demanded an immediate halt to the policy of promoting Bt cotton. “Examination of the data from the last 10 years negates the twin claims of dramatic yield increase and significant fall in pesticide usage. The report exposes the stagnant yields, pest resistance, new pests and disease attacks, the need for high levels of farm inputs and the spate of tragic farmer suicides in the cotton belt.”