The 16 decisions of Grameen Bank
I found it instructive to try to put myself in their place to help understand the point from which these borrowers are starting.
Many (thousands!) Indian farmers have committed suicide because they have gotten into a relationship with U.S. seed companies that force them to buy new seeds every growing season; they are prohibited from saving seed for the next season. Even if they did save the seed, they are probably hybrid so that the next generation does not produce. Either way the farmers must agree not to save seeds.
Nobody held a gun to their heads and made them take the deals. Likely the farmers were promised great profits by planting these special seeds (Jack and the Beanstalk magic beans), and are not sophisticated enough to smell the rat and refuse, much like Americans believe real estate only goes up and are not sophisticated to know ARMs which will reset, payments nearly double on overpriced real estate. The arrangement for the Indian farmers is uneconomic and delivers financial disaster (hopeless indebtedness) to the farmer, if you can imagine it being any worse for them than it already is. When the farmers go from having near nothing to owing thousands they know they can never repay, they stop wanting to live.
You'd think the seed companies would realize their mistake, take pity and forgive the Indian farmers their debts. I'd like to see a bankruptcy judge be available to discharge the debts of these farmers so they can at least start out again where they left off and be debt free again, hopefully having learned a lesson, but still be alive. And let the U.S. seed companies find another way to make a buck, economically, without ruining Indian farmers.
I would actually recommend that this bank add #17: not to use any but seeds except nonhybrid that can be saved and freely planted the following season. Always reserve the right to save seeds for use the next year. Never accept a contract that has terms threatening that right.