GM suicides “worse than feared” — Daily Mail - November 7, 2008

A Daily Mail reporter, Andrew Malone, says recent reports that thousands of Indian farmers have committed suicide after their GM crops failed are worse than had earlier been feared.

Last month the Prince of Wales claimed many of the suicides were directly connected with the fact that thousands of farmers had fallen into debt after buying seed and chemicals from biotech companies. He accused the GM companies of conducting “commerce without morality” and “science without humanity”.

But the Prince was lambasted for his comments by pro-GM groups who argued that the suicides began before the arrival of GM crops. A number of MPs claimed he was 'ignoring' potential benefits for the Third World.

Andrew Malone recently travelled to India himself to investigate the tragedy. He said the Indian authorities confirmed to him that more than 1,000 farmers are killing themselves each month, with many taking their lives after falling into debt with money lenders after over-borrowing to purchase GM feed. Despite claims by the bio-tech industry that the suicide epidemic has been caused by rural poverty, drought and ‘agrarian distress’, Maloney was told in “village after village” that families had fallen into debt after being coerced into buying GM seed by biotech company salesmen.

Malone notes “a staggering price difference” between GM and non-GM seed. He says: “Farmers have to pay £10 for 100 grams of GM seed, compared with less than £10 for 1,000 times more traditional seeds.”
Many of the farmers who have committed suicide have died agonizing deaths after drinking pesticide, says Malone. He concludes: “Here in the suicide belt of India, the cost of the genetically modified future is murderously high.”