Effect of Bt cotton on small and medium scale farmers' income in the Telegana region, Andhra Pradesh, India 2002-2005

Abstract

The objective of my practicum was to determine the real effect of Telegana farmers' use of Cotton with the Bt trait on their abilities to increase their incomes over 1-3 growing seasons, primarily from smaller scale farmers' perspectives, while taking into account farmers' existing vulnerabilities and the current policy environment. Data collection methods included group activities and semi-structured interviews. The study found that the farmers' use of Bt Cotton has generally had a marginal effect on their abilities to increase their incomes due to the effect of ongoing irrigation problems, the lack of affordable institutional credit, volatile cotton prices and other issues. The highly variable performance of Bt Cotton seed varieties, possibly caused by fraudulent seed in circulation, also posed hardships for many farmers. Overall, the practicum findings add to the debates about the effect of agricultural biotechnology use, particularly Bt Cotton, on the poor by showing that the use of the new technology did not significantly improve the lives of farmers because it was not accompanied by adequate policies or programs designed to address farmers' ongoing problems.