A delegation of farmers and agricultural farmers from India has flown to London to ask that a £65m (US$93.2m) grant to help the state of Andhra Pradesh set up industrial scale farms be cancelled.
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The money has been granted to the state of Andhra Pradesh to consolidate the huge number of small farms into larger ones, buy machines to sow and reap crops, introduce new pesticides to promote crop growth and introduce the cultivation of genetically crops.
The UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) has set up the project, to be known as Vision 2020, after detailed consultation with the government of Andhra Pradesh. Farmers fear they will become redundant when the new processes are implemented.
International charities have come to the support of the farmers, including Christian Aid, Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace. Elizabeth Stuart of Christian Aid told the Straits Times: “The British-funded project will mean the number of people making their living from the land in AP will fall from 70% of the population to 40% This is a drop in the number of farmers of 20 million over the next 20 years.”
Opponents to the project are calling for the aid to be distributed directly to farmers, who could use it to buy more seed and improve soil fertility. Concern has also been voiced about the introduction of GM seeds despite worries over safety.
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