Cultivating organic cotton gives higher financial security to farmers over the cultivation of Bt cotton, says a Greenpeace report.

The report said that in the year 2009-10 farmers in the South India cultivating cotton through organic practices earned 200 percent more net income than farmers who grew Genetically Engineered cotton (Bt cotton).

According to report ‘in the region of Andhra Pradesh the cost of cultivation is much higher for Bt cotton farmers. The Bt cotton farmers incurred 65 percent higher debt –accumulated during 2008/09 and 2009/10– than the non-Bt organic cotton farmers.’

“Our study illustrates how farmers growing GE cotton face high debts and high costs of cultivation, becoming more vulnerable to financial collapses,” said Dr Reyes Tirado, Scientist, Greenpeace International, who authored the report.

The report released on Tuesday titled ‘Picking Cotton - The choice between organic and genetically-engineered cotton for farmers in South India’ said genetically engineered (GE) variety makes farmers more vulnerable to financial collapse due to high debts and increased costs of cultivation.

“Bt cotton has only benefitted the multinational seed giants like Monsanto who has earned 1580 crore Rupees as royalty from its patented Bt cotton seed since its release” said Rajesh Krishnan, sustainable agriculture campaigner with Greenpeace India. “Cotton farming that uses ecological practices and avoids genetically engineered seeds and agrochemicals is the most beneficial for Indian farmers,” he further added.

Greenpeace has demanded that the Indian government ban Bt cotton cultivation and asked the government to take an active role in supplying sufficient quantities of quality non-Bt seeds and support organic cotton farming. The international environmental NGO had spearheaded the opposition to the introduction of Bt brinjal in India.

“It is preposterous that on the one hand government doles out thousands of crores in the name of bringing relief to farmers while on the other they permit and promote Bt cotton cultivation and ensure that the farmer can never escape the debt treadmill.” said Dr G.V Ramanjaneyalu, Executive Director of Centre for Sustainable Agriculture.