Reading Response. Bitter Seeds documentary rewiew. Coursework

Question 1
Monsanto bears the responsibility for the rise in farmer suicides in Vidarbha. As shown in the documentary, ever since it started selling seeds in the region, the costs of production of cotton have risen, driving farmers into debts and eventually suicide. In this age of corporate social responsibility, it is heartbreaking that a company like Monsanto is not focusing on protecting the farmers, who are its customers. Instead, the farmers have become slaves to the company, having to buy expensive seeds and pesticides to sustain their livelihoods. Therefore, Monsanto is the most responsible entity in the suicides rates among farmers because its practices are the cause of the cycle of debts the farmers have to go through. Despite understanding the irrigation requirements of its seeds, the company promotes them to farmers who mainly depend on rainwater for their crops. Furthermore, as demonstrated in the documentary, the promotions are fake. It is irresponsible for a company of Monsanto’s stature to lie to customers in order to sell its products. They, therefore, ought to bear the responsibility for the suicides being experienced in the region and India at large. In order to reduce the number of farmer suicides, major stakeholders such as Monsanto and the government should invest in providing farmers with seeds that can do well in the region’s climatic conditions. Furthermore, the two stakeholders should consistently educate farmers on the seeds and what they should do to provide high yields.
Question 2
According to the Guardian (1999), the suicides were caused by debt that followed seed failure. As described in the article, the seeds that were sold to the farmers were unreliable and required more water compared to the traditional ones. In the response by Monsanto, multiple societal issues such as lack of reliable credit, a shift in government policies, and lack of irrigation facilities are cited as the causes of the rise in farmer suicides (Mosanto, 2017). Finally, the article in Mother Jones magazine notes that as a result of the shift to industrial farming by India, farmers became increasingly reliant on pesticides, fertilizers, and high tech seeds. The reliance on these pricey commodities increased the risk of bankruptcy and consequently suicide.
Question 3
The explanation by the article in Mother Jones magazine seems the most convincing because it is based on research that examined the suicides rates before and after the Bt seeds. The mid-1900s that was characterized by the rise in industrial farming that coincided with the rise in farmer suicides. The rise in industrial farming came with the need for expensive seeds, irrigation water, and pesticides meant that farmers had to go into debt to finance their farming activities. As shown in the article in Mother Jones Magazine, the reliance on Bt seeds by farmers that primarily depend on rain is associated with h...