RCEP will jeopardise India’s seed industry
With Brexit now a certainty, the days of liberal globalization are numbered. Open borders, FTAs and multilateral agreements are no longer in vogue. However, India seems inclined to ink the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), perhaps the world’s biggest free trade agreement. This seems an ill-advised step. India boosts of a vibrant seed sector with public institutions and a variety of private companies engaged in it. The seed sector is the backbone of agriculture, as in all other countries, but the situation in India can’t be compared with that of Australia, Japan, China or other RCEP countries. Seeds are vital to our national security, because any wrong policy decision could sound the death knell for millions of lives, besides the seed economy. We have a large population, which depends on the seed sector for survival. Our plant genetic resources (PGR) and seeds will play a critical role in ensuring food security for future generations.
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