Navigating the Legal Landscape of Genetically Modified Agriculture in India Through a Regional Examination of Farmers' Rights and Compliance in the Gwalior Chambal Division

Ankur Shrotriya; Dr. Akash Gupta

doi:10.53724/ambition/v10n4.02

Authors

Ankur Shrotriya Research Scholar, Amity Law School, Amity University Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3901-0682
Dr. Akash Gupta Associate Professor, Amity Law School, Amity University Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India. https://orcid.org/0009-0008-3920-9991

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53724/ambition/v10n4.02

Keywords:

Genetically Modified Crops, Legal Compliance, Farmer’s Rights, PPVFR Act, Gwalior Chambal Division, Seed Regulation, Agricultural Policy

Abstract

The aim of the study was to enquire the degree of legal awareness, behavior of compliance and institutional support level by farmers about GM crops in Gwalior Chambal Division, Madhya Pradesh in India. To gather data, mixed methods approach was applied and structured questionnaires were employed to gather information in 200 sample farmers of the locality, whereas, 15 key informants were interviewed. It was also found that most of the farmers knew about genetically modified crops like the Bt cotton but very small number of them were aware of some very significant legislative systems like the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmer’s Rights Act which became applicable in 2001. The inconsistent compliance was found in the course of dealing with seed licensing, verification, and record-keeping. They offered a small level of institutional intervention and the farmers were provided with very little level of legal assistance and technical training. A lot of barriers hindered compliance such as the lack of legal literacy, lack of an adequate system of enforcement, complex policies, and the sheer dominance of the private seed dealers. This study reinforces that more legal trainings, extension, and decentralization of regulations are necessitated to intensify the utilization of genetically modified organisms in the field of agriculture legally and knowledge conventional in the regional districts of India.

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