India, Sept. 13 -- US President Donald Trump's imposition of a steep 50% punitive tariff on Indian imports came into effect on 27 August, is not just a diplomatic setback; it is a stark reminder of how unequal the global farm trade is. The United States has justified the move as "reciprocity" for India's refusal to open its markets to American genetically-modified (GM) crops such as maize and soybean.

In reality, it is the familiar playbook of wealthy nations: protect their farmers with massive subsidies, demand access for their high-yield GM surpluses, and penalise competitors who resist. The result is a global agricultural system where small and marginal farmers in developing economies like India remain trapped in a cycle of low produc...