Farm level economic impact of biotechnology: smallholder Bt cotton farmers in South Africa
Ismael Y, Bennett R, Morse S (2002). Outlook on Agriculture, vol. 31, no. 2, pp. 107-111.
This paper is relevant to the Socio-Economic, Environmental, and Developing Country categories in the following areas:
| Crops: | Cotton |
| Traits: | Insect Res. (BT) |
| Countries: | South Africa |
| Regions: | Africa |
| ImpactAreas: | Socio-Economic, Environmental, Developing Countries, and Yield |
Abstract or Summary:
This paper describes the method and findings of a survey designed to explore the economic benefits of the adoption of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton for smallholder farmers in the Republic of South Africa. The study found reason for cautious optimism in that the Bt variety generally resulted in a per hectare increase in yields and value of output with a reduction in pesticide costs, which outweighed the increase in seed costs to give a substantial increase in gross margins. Thus, these preliminary results suggest that Bt cotton is good for smallholder cotton farmers and the environment.
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