GM crops and the hidden agenda

The article, "Seeds of decline" (1-15 November, 2016), on genetically modified (GM) crops is aptly titled. Their resistance to pests and pesticides, which is the rationale behind GM crops, has proved elusive over the years. There has also been a sharp increase in the amount and number of herbicides and pesticides applied to them and this is expected to increase further. If the yield of Bt cotton, the only GM crop approved for cultivation in India, is any indication, GM mustard is unlikely to be different. Moreover, the lack of evidence to establish health risks of GM crops does not mean they are safe. Another alarming development is the mega mergers between GMO companies and the agrochemicals industry. The EU, USA and Latin American consumers are apprehensive that the companies may have the potential to concentrate political and financial power and force more countries to adopt a single model of farming, which excludes or impoverishes small farmers. GM crops are not about preventing food shortage, but consolidating the control of food production for profits.