Nothing Special   »   [go: up one dir, main page]
IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/fpr/ifprid/1520.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Varietal integrity, damage abatement, and productivity: Evidence from the cultivation of Bt cotton in Pakistan:

Author

Listed:
  • Ma, Xingliang
  • Smale, Melinda
  • Spielman, David J.
  • Zambrano, Patricia
  • Nazli, Hina
  • Zaidi, Fatima
Abstract
Bt cotton remains one of the most widely grown biotech crops among smallholder farmers. Numerous studies, including those previously conducted in Pakistan, attest to its yield and cost advantages. However, the effectiveness of Bt toxin, which depends on many technical constraints, is heterogeneous. Furthermore, in Pakistan, the diffusion of Bt cotton varieties occurred despite a weak regulatory system and without seed quality control; evidence demonstrates that varieties sold as Bt may not contain the genes or express them effectively. We use data collected from a sample that is statistically representative of the nation’s cotton growers to test the effects of Bt cotton use on productivity in a damage control framework. Unlike previous studies, we employ five measures of Bt identity: name, official approval status, farmer belief, laboratory tests of Bt presence in plant tissue, and biophysical assays measuring Bt effectiveness. Only farmers’ belief that a variety is Bt affects cotton productivity. Although all measures reduce damage from pests, the biophysical indicators have the largest effect, and official approval has the weakest. For applied economists, findings highlight the importance of getting the data right concerning Bt. For policy makers, they suggest the need, on ethical if not productivity grounds, to monitor variety integrity closer to point of sale.

Suggested Citation

  • Ma, Xingliang & Smale, Melinda & Spielman, David J. & Zambrano, Patricia & Nazli, Hina & Zaidi, Fatima, 2016. "Varietal integrity, damage abatement, and productivity: Evidence from the cultivation of Bt cotton in Pakistan:," IFPRI discussion papers 1520, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    • Handle: RePEc:fpr:ifprid:1520
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://cdm15738.contentdm.oclc.org/utils/getfile/collection/p15738coll2/id/130257/filename/130468.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Glenn Fox & Alfons Weersink, 1995. "Damage Control and Increasing Returns," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 77(1), pages 33-39.
    2. Robert G. Chambers & Giannis Karagiannis & Vangelis Tzouvelekas, 2010. "Another Look at Pesticide Productivity and Pest Damage," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 92(5), pages 1401-1419.
    3. Qaim, Matin & De Janvry, Alain, 2005. "Bt cotton and pesticide use in Argentina: economic and environmental effects," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 10(2), pages 179-200, May.
    4. Benjamin Crost & Bhavani Shankar & Richard Bennett & Stephen Morse, 2007. "Bias from Farmer Self-Selection in Genetically Modified Crop Productivity Estimates: Evidence from Indian Data," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(1), pages 24-36, February.
    5. Nazli, Hina & Orden, David & Sarker, Rakhal & Meilke, Karl D., 2012. "Bt Cotton Adoption and Wellbeing of Farmers in Pakistan," 2012 Conference, August 18-24, 2012, Foz do Iguacu, Brazil 126172, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    6. Horna, J. Daniela & Smale, Melinda & Al-Hassan, Ramatu M. & Falck-Zepeda, Jose Benjamin & Timpo, Samuel E., 2008. "Insecticide Use on Vegetables in Ghana: Would GM Seed Benefit Farmers?," 2008 Annual Meeting, July 27-29, 2008, Orlando, Florida 6506, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    7. Spielman, David J. & Nazli, Hina & Ma, Xingliang & Zambrano, Patricia & Zaidi, Fatima, 2014. "Technological opportunity, regulatory uncertainty, and the economics of Bt Cotton in Pakistan:," PSSP working papers 25, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    8. Liu, Elaine M. & Huang, JiKun, 2013. "Risk preferences and pesticide use by cotton farmers in China," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 202-215.
    9. Mitchell, Paul D. & Shi, Guanming & Ma, Xingliang & Lauer, Joseph G., 2009. "Effect of Prices, Traits and Market Structure on Corn Seeding Density," 2009 Annual Meeting, July 26-28, 2009, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 49520, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    10. Bhavani Shankar & Colin Thirtle, 2005. "Pesticide Productivity and Transgenic Cotton Technology: The South African Smallholder Case," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(1), pages 97-116, March.
    11. Akhter Ali & Awudu Abdulai, 2010. "The Adoption of Genetically Modified Cotton and Poverty Reduction in Pakistan," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(1), pages 175-192, February.
    12. Guan Zhengfei & Alfons Oude Lansink & Ada Wossink & Ruud Huirne, 2005. "Damage control inputs: a comparison of conventional and organic farming systems," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 32(2), pages 167-189, June.
    13. Huang, Jikun & Hu, Ruifa & Rozelle, Scott & Qiao, Fangbin & Pray, Carl E., 2002. "Transgenic varieties and productivity of smallholder cotton farmers in China," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 46(3), pages 1-21.
    14. Tripp, Robert & Louwaars, Niels, 1997. "Seed regulation: choices on the road to reform," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 22(5), pages 433-446, October.
    15. Gruere, Guillaume P. & Sun, Yan, 2012. "Measuring the contribution of Bt cotton adoption to India's cotton yields leap:," IFPRI discussion papers 1170, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Susan Godlonton & Manuel A Hernandez & Mike Murphy, 2018. "Anchoring Bias in Recall Data: Evidence from Central America," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 100(2), pages 479-501.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Xingliang Ma & Melinda Smale & David J. Spielman & Patricia Zambrano & Hina Nazli & Fatima Zaidi, 2017. "A Question of Integrity: Variants of Bt Cotton, Pesticides and Productivity in Pakistan," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 68(2), pages 366-385, June.
    2. Kouser, Shahzad & Qaim, Matin & Abedullah, 2015. "Bt cotton and employment effects for female agricultural laborers in Pakistan: An application of double-hurdle model," 2015 Conference, August 9-14, 2015, Milan, Italy 212014, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    3. Midingoyi, Soul-Kifouly & Affognon, Hippolyte & Macharia, Ibrahim & Leru, Bruno, 2021. "Productivity Effects of Biological Control of Maize Stemborer Pests in Kenya: Damage Control Function Approach," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315385, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    4. Mutuc, Maria Erlinda M. & Rejesus, Roderick M. & Pan, Suwen & Yorobe, Jose M., Jr., 2012. "Impact Assessment of Bt Corn Adoption in the Philippines," Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Southern Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 44(1), pages 1-19, February.
    5. Kouser, Shahzad & Qaim, Matin, 2011. "Impact of Bt cotton on pesticide poisoning in smallholder agriculture: A panel data analysis," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(11), pages 2105-2113, September.
    6. Sadashivappa, Prakash & Qaim, Matin, 2009. "Effects of Bt Cotton in India During the First Five Years of Adoption," 2009 Conference, August 16-22, 2009, Beijing, China 49947, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    7. Sanglestsawai, Santi & Rodriguez, Divina Gracia P. & Rejesus, Roderick M. & Yorobe, Jose M., 2017. "Production Risk, Farmer Welfare, and Bt Corn in the Philippines," Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 46(3), pages 507-528, December.
    8. Suntornpithug, Pasu & Kalaitzandonakes, Nicholas G., 2009. "Understanding the Adoption of Cotton Biotechnologies in the US: Firm Level Evidence," Agricultural Economics Review, Greek Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 10(1), pages 1-17.
    9. Nazli, Hina & Orden, David & Sarker, Rakhal & Meilke, Karl D., 2012. "Bt Cotton Adoption and Wellbeing of Farmers in Pakistan," 2012 Conference, August 18-24, 2012, Foz do Iguacu, Brazil 126172, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    10. Horna, J. Daniela & Smale, Melinda & Al-Hassan, Ramatu M. & Falck-Zepeda, Jose Benjamin & Timpo, Samuel E., 2008. "Insecticide Use on Vegetables in Ghana: Would GM Seed Benefit Farmers?," 2008 Annual Meeting, July 27-29, 2008, Orlando, Florida 6506, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    11. Krishna, Vijesh V. & Qaim, Matin, 2011. "Pesticide Reduction Sustainability of Bt Technology in India," 2011 International Congress, August 30-September 2, 2011, Zurich, Switzerland 114696, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    12. Mahaffey, Harry & Taheripour, Farzad & Tyner, Wallace E., 2016. "Evaluating the Economic and Environmental Impacts of a Global GMO Ban," 2016 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Boston, Massachusetts 235591, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    13. Fangbin Qiao & Jikun Huang & Caiping Zhang, 2016. "The Sustainability of the Farm-level Impact of Bt Cotton in China," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 67(3), pages 602-618, September.
    14. Krishna, Vijesh V. & Qaim, Matin, 2012. "Bt cotton and sustainability of pesticide reductions in India," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 47-55.
    15. Thirtle, Colin G. & Piesse, Jenifer & Gouse, Marnus, 2005. "Agricultural technology, productivity and employment: Policies for poverty reduction," Agrekon, Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa (AEASA), vol. 44(1), pages 1-23, March.
    16. Bakhsh, Khuda, 2011. "Productivity Of Bt Cotton And Its Impacts On Pesticide Use And Farm Returns: Evidence From Pakistani Punjab," 2011 International Congress, August 30-September 2, 2011, Zurich, Switzerland 114234, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    17. Sanglestsawai, Santi & Rejesus, Roderick M. & Yorobe, Jose M., 2014. "Do lower yielding farmers benefit from Bt corn? Evidence from instrumental variable quantile regressions," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 285-296.
    18. Chavez, Holcer & Nadolnyak, Denis A. & Kloepper, Joseph, 2012. "Stochastic Frontier Analysis of Biological Agents (Microbial Inoculants) Input Usage in Apple Production," 2012 Annual Meeting, February 4-7, 2012, Birmingham, Alabama 119796, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
    19. Adélaïde Fadhuile & Stéphane Lemarié & Alain Pirotte, 2016. "Disaggregating the Demand for Pesticides: Does it Matter?," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 64(2), pages 223-252, June.
    20. Ayesh, Abubakr & Swinton, Scott M., 2020. "Does a Lemon Technology for Pest Control Act as a Substitute for Insecticides?," 2020 Annual Meeting, July 26-28, Kansas City, Missouri 304535, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    cotton; hybrids; biotechnology; genetically engineered crops; genetically modified organisms; smallholders; intensive farming;
    All these keywords.

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:fpr:ifprid:1520. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: the person in charge (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/ifprius.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.