Seed sovereignty or GMOs? Food for a Growing India

The document analyzes India's struggle with food insecurity and malnutrition despite its economic growth and history of self-sufficiency. It discusses the 2013 National Food Security Bill, the legacy of the Green Revolution, and the debate between the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and the promotion of seed sovereignty to protect crop biodiversity. The authors argue for a holistic approach to food security that considers socio-political factors, indigenous knowledge, and the impacts of climate change.

• India faces persistent food insecurity and malnutrition despite its economic growth, with food inflation (approximately 10 per cent) exceeding overall inflation (around 6 per cent) and nearly 25 per cent of children under five remaining malnourished.
• The National Food Security Bill of 2013 established a legal entitlement to subsidized grains via the Public Distribution System (PDS), covering 67 per cent of the total population, including 75 per cent of rural and 50 per cent of urban residents.
• While the 'Green Revolution' of 1965–68 significantly increased food production through high-yield seeds and fertilizers, subsequent economic liberalization starting in 1991 led to a decrease in agricultural productivity and an increase in the population living below the poverty line between 1996 and 2006.
• The seed sovereignty movement advocates for the use of indigenous seeds and the right to grow food, warning that reliance on GMOs and multinational seed companies creates dependency and reduces crop biodiversity.
• Implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) has been hindered by significant resource leakages and errors in inclusion and exclusion, with further complications arising from the use of biometric Aadhaar IDs and the shift toward cash transfers.
• Climate change, characterized by rising temperatures and increased drought propensity, threatens global food security, prompting initiatives like the Global Seed Vault in Svalbard, where India deposited pigeon pea accessions in 2014 due to the crop's drought resistance.
• Addressing food insecurity requires a holistic approach that prioritizes fair prices, sustainable production, the protection of communal property rights, and the preservation of indigenous farming knowledge over purely scientific production metrics.

APA

Kolås, Å., Upadhyaya, A. S., & Jacobsen, E. (2017). Seed sovereignty or GMOs? Food for a Growing India. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/fc2fe809-ff7b-40d7-9366-fc2b12b5c462/Jacobsen et al - Food for a Growing India PRIO Policy Brief 4-2017.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Kolås, Åshild, Anjoo Sharan Upadhyaya, and Elida Jacobsen. Seed sovereignty or GMOs? Food for a Growing India. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2017. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/fc2fe809-ff7b-40d7-9366-fc2b12b5c462/Jacobsen et al - Food for a Growing India PRIO Policy Brief 4-2017.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kolås |first1=Åshild |last2=Upadhyaya |first2=Anjoo Sharan |last3=Jacobsen |first3=Elida |title=Seed sovereignty or GMOs? Food for a Growing India |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=April 2017 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/fc2fe809-ff7b-40d7-9366-fc2b12b5c462/Jacobsen et al - Food for a Growing India PRIO Policy Brief 4-2017.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kols2017seed, author = {Kolås, Åshild and Upadhyaya, Anjoo Sharan and Jacobsen, Elida}, title = {{Seed sovereignty or GMOs? Food for a Growing India}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2017}, month = apr, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/fc2fe809-ff7b-40d7-9366-fc2b12b5c462/Jacobsen et al - Food for a Growing India PRIO Policy Brief 4-2017.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }