There are numerous studies which give solid proof that in India the Bt cotton story is overall a positive one regarding environment. However, there are specific incidences, which overshadow the good stories: Since its approval in 2002, Bt cotton has spread in India in a very rapid pace: From 3.27 million hectares last year the transgenic cotton will cover three times more this year, a proud figure per se. The downside is, that according to some few reports, farmers run into economic troubles in specific regions.
Lets see the facts: Three studies give helpful comments: 1)
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
