series
bt
cotton
in india
Summary
Nowhere on earth will you see more cotton fields than in India. Cotton cultivation has
experienced a remarkable growth story over the last decade: the production,
the yield per hectare and the total area on which cotton can be cultivated have all
increased to record high levels. The Indian cotton farmers now account for 21 %
of the global production.
Of course there is more than one reason for this increase in cotton cultivation in
India. Nonetheless, anyone who examines the figures will note that this growth is
associated with the introduction of Bt cotton, a type of cotton plant that has had
the genes of the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis inserted – hence the name Bt
cotton. These genes produce proteins that protect the plant against the bollworm, a
notorious pest of cotton plants.
Bt cotton was officially admitted in India for commercial cultivation from the 2002 –
2003 growth season. Currently, 87 % of all Indian cotton plants is Bt cotton. In 2011,
seven million of the eight million Indian cotton farmers adopted for Bt cotton.
Research demonstrates that the Indian farmer who cultivates Bt cotton sprays less
insecticide and achieves a higher yield. At the end of the day, he makes more profit,
the environment benefits from the lower use of insecticides and – because Bt cotton
farmers spray fewer insecticides – the farmers are at a lower risk of poisoning. In
addition, it is not only the large farmers who benefit from the advantages of Bt
cotton: for the millions of small farmers – and their families – the revival in smallscale
cotton farming is an important instrument in trading extreme poverty for a
more dignified existence. In other words, Bt cotton in India is the story of a hightechnology
agricultural innovation that can also offer benefits to smaller farmers.
Research has also demonstrated that there is no link between the high number of
suicides amongst Indian farmers and whether or not they cultivate Bt cotton.
Such a link is repeatedly suggested by non-governmental organizations, lobby
groups and the media. There are other factors that play a much more important role.
The lack of affordable credit and the absence of any social security to cope with
failed harvests are the most prominent factors.
Nevertheless, we should not consider Bt cotton a miracle solution. There is definitely
local variation in the yield per ha and cotton farmers are not always informed about
the benefits and disadvantages of the cottonseeds that they purchase. In addition,
cotton cultivation in general remains a burden on the environment due to the large
quantities of water used. The cultivation of Bt cotton is no exception to this rule.
To summarize, Bt cotton should be viewed as an useful tool with which the Indian
farmer can protect his crop in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner
against its most important enemy, the bollworm.