Raney, T. (2006)
Economic impact of transgenic crops in developing countries. Current Opinion in Biotechnology
Plant biotechnology/Food biotechnology, 17, 2, pp 174-178
http://www.botanischergarten.ch/Cotton/Raney-Economic-Cotton-2006.pdf
Qaim, M., Subramanian, A., Naik, G., & Zilberman, D. (2006)
Adoption of Bt cotton and impact variability: Insights from India. Review of Agricultural Economics, 28, 1, pp 48-58
http://www.botanischergarten.ch/Cotton/Quaim-Economic-Cotton-India-2006.pdf
Bennett, R., Kambhampati, U., Morse, S., & Ismael, Y. (2006)
Farm-level economic performance of genetically modified cotton in Maharashtra, India. Review of Agricultural Economics, 28, 1, pp 59-71 http://www.botanischergarten.ch/Cotton/Bennett-Farmlevel-Cotton-India-2006.pdf
“3 states fix price of Monsanto’s
Bt cotton seeds”, Times of India, 1. 6. 2006; “Bt cotton to cover 81 lakh acres in the
country by 2006”; Medienmitteilung, Government of India, 3. 7. 2006.
It was Richard Bennett warning previously, that the Bt cotton has been introduced in India in a too rapid pace: It would have been better to develop for locally adapted varieties which would have survived in a better shape last years droughts in Andra Prades - but his warnings were ignored: in the first years of Bt cotton in India there were only three traits approved. This will now change dramatically. For this year, already 59 varieties will be approved, and for the following years, 121 new transgenic varieties are in development.
Not all farmers had benefited from increased performance of Bt varieties.
1. Raney, T., 2006 Economic impact of transgenic crops in developing countries. Current Opinion in Biotechnology Plant biotechnology/Food biotechnology, 17(2): p. 174-178.
http://www.botanischergarten.ch/Cotton/Raney-Economic-Cotton-2006.pdf
Africa Harvest: A Snapshot
Africa Harvest Biotech Foundation International (AHBFI) is incorporated in the United States as a non-profit organization that is dedicated to using technology as a tool to fight hunger, malnutrition and poverty in Africa. The foundation’s headquarters is located in Nairobi, Kenya and there are operational offices in Johannesburg, South Africa and Washington D.C., United States.
Africa Harvest’s plan is to implement needs-driven programs and provide practical solutions to challenges facing resource-poor smallholder farmers in rural communities. The Foundation believes in undertaking projects that focus on the Whole Value Chain (WVC) Strategy, which it has developed and refined, over the years. The uniqueness of the WVC Strategy is that it looks at agricultural products and projects through an inverted pyramid; this means that an end user or customer is identified before focusing on issues such as agricultural production (inputs such as seedlings, fertilizers and water), product distribution and marketing. This way, project beneficiaries are able to make money from the sales of whatever is produced in excess of home consumption requirements.
Africa Harvest’s strength is derived primarily from the expertise of its core staff in consortium building; capacity building; planning, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development projects; and includes the implementation of socio-economic impact studies. Its institutional expertise is best utilized through on-the-job training and mentoring of others to implement the projects together.
Moreover, owing to its Pan-African focus, the Foundation has indigenous knowledge, cultural understanding and a trusted relationship with African leaders, farmers and international organizations. As a result, Africa Harvest is seen as a sincere and honest partner in the cause of poverty and hunger alleviation.
Klaus Ammann
klaus dot ammann at ips dot unibe dot ch