ASHA letter to India’s PM, on the trade deal with the USA

———- Forwarded message ———
From: ASHA Kisan Swaraj<asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Jun 30, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Subject: Sub: Uphold India’s Food and Farmer Sovereignty – Do Not Allow GM Crops or U.S. Dairy Imports in Trade Deal
To: <connect@mygov.nic.in>
Cc: narendramodi1234@gmail.com <narendramodi1234@gmail.com>, <appt@pmo.nic.in>, <piyush.goyal@gov.in>, cimoffice@nic.in <cimoffice@nic.in>
To
The Hon’ble Prime Minister of India
South Block, Raisina Hill
New Delhi – 110011

Subject: Uphold India’s Food and Farmer Sovereignty – Do Not Allow GM Crops or U.S. Dairy Imports in Trade Deal

Respected Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji,

We write to you with grave concern over reports that the Government of India which is engaged in final negotiations for a trade agreement with the United States, is under pressure to allow the import of genetically modified (GM) crops and U.S. milk and dairy products into India.

On behalf of farmers, scientists, environmentalists, health advocates, consumer groups, and concerned citizens across the country, we strongly urge you to stand firm and unequivocally reject any such move, which would have serious and irreparable implications for India’s agriculture, biosafety, public health, rural livelihoods, and seed and food sovereignty.

1. GM Crops: A Direct Threat to Biosafety, Seed Sovereignty, and Law

India has consistently resisted the commercial cultivation and import of GM food crops backed by scientific caution, legal safeguards, and public opposition. The introduction of GM crops through trade channels is a non-negotiable red line for India. Such a move will amount to:

Violation of national laws: As per the Environment Protection Act, 1986 and the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, unapproved GM foods and crops are illegal in India. The regulatory regime does not permit import, sale, or cultivation without explicit biosafety testing and approval. Importing GM corn, soy, or any such commodity would be a direct subversion of this legal framework. Judicial pronouncements, including those by the Hon’ble Supreme Court, have ordered a further -strengthening of the modern biotechnology approval regime. Importing GM crops will be tantamount to violating this order.

Dangerous precedent: India has never negotiated on GM crops in any of its trade deals. Allowing them now will weaken domestic regulatory institutions, erode judicial credibility, and give multinational corporations leverage to shape Indian food policy in future trade negotiations.

Risks to health and ecology: The long-term health and ecological impacts of GM crops remain contested globally. Most countries across the world, to this day, have imposed bans or strict restrictions, and don’t allow GM crop cultivation. India, home to immense biodiversity and smallholder-based food systems, cannot afford such irreversible risks.

Attack on seed freedom: GM crop imports open the door to patent enforcement, seed contamination, and corporate control. This threatens our farmers’ rights, traditional seed systems, and the autonomy of our food producers.

For India’s millions of small-scale farmers this is not merely an economic issue – it is about sovereignty, safety, and survival.  

2. U.S. Dairy Imports: A Blow to Rural Livelihoods and Consumer Health

Permitting U.S. milk and dairy imports poses multiple dangers to both consumer safety and rural livelihoods:

Health concerns: U.S. dairy is still often produced with recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH), banned in most countries for its known links to cancer, antibiotic resistance, and hormonal disruption. It is a matter of controversy even in the US. India has wisely prohibited rBGH use. Allowing milk produced using such hormones would be an assault on public health and consumer trust.

Rural livelihood destruction: India’s dairy sector sustains over 10 crore rural households, with a robust decentralised structure built on smallholders, lakhs of women and cooperatives, all dependent on stable local markets. Flooding the market with subsidised, industrial U.S. dairy will displace livelihoods, dismantle local economies, and deepen rural distress.

Cultural and ethical violation: Milk in India is more than a commodity – it is basic to our food traditions, our ritual life, and our village economies. Industrialised U.S. dairy, often based on factory farming and exploitative animal practices, runs counter to the ethos of Indian dairy culture.

3. India’s Sovereignty Must Not Be Traded

Apple farmers of Himachal, Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir numbering more than 8 lakh households have been concerned about tariff reductions on US apple imports, even as India is expected to touch record levels of apple imports of 6 lakh metric tonnes this year.

Meanwhile, this trade deal for us is not just about tariffs and commodities – it is about India’s sovereign right to determine its food future, protect its environment, and uphold the rights of its people.

We are deeply disturbed that such far-reaching decisions appear to be influenced by foreign policy compulsions and corporate pressure rather than democratic consultation or scientific rationale or statutory due processes. Allowing GM crops and U.S. dairy imports under trade pressure would undermine India’s self-reliant and resilient agri-food systems. Due to contamination, it would also affect our current trade advantage with organic and non-GMO exports. It would damage India’s global leadership on biosafety, seed diversity, and smallholder-based agriculture. It would also set a dangerous precedent for future trade-offs on environmental and health safeguards.

We therefore urge the Government of India to:

1. Categorically reject any proposal to allow GM crops or dairy imports as part of the Indo-US trade agreement or any such deals in future as well;

2. Uphold and strengthen India’s legal, scientific and policy safeguards that protect over food systems and public health from all such biosafety hazards such as unsafe GM foods and hormone-based milk products;

3. Ensure full transparency and parliamentary oversight in all trade negotiations involving agriculture, food, health, and biodiversity, and involve state governments also.

India must not barter away its food security, ecological security, rural livelihoods and people’s health for short-term trade concessions. We look to your leadership to defend and strengthen these foundational pillars of our nation. We strongly urge you to uphold India’s food and farming sovereignty with clarity, courage, and constitutional responsibility. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Kavitha Kuruganti                                 Ananthasayanan
Ph: 8880067772                                   Ph: 9444166779

Copy to : Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry

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====================================Alliance for Sustainable & Holistic Agriculture (ASHA-Kisan Swaraj)FOOD – FARMERS – FREEDOMwww.kisanswaraj.inwww.indiaforsafefood.in