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. 2016 Apr;34(4):260-263.
doi: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2015.12.017.

A Black (White) Hole in the Global Spread of GM Cotton

Saule Burkitbayeva  1 , Matin Qaim  2 , Johan Swinnen  3
Affiliations

A Black (White) Hole in the Global Spread of GM Cotton

Saule Burkitbayeva et al. Trends Biotechnol. 2016 Apr.

Abstract

Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) cotton has been widely adopted, notably by smallholder farmers in developing countries. However, it has not been used in Central Asia, an important cotton-producing region. We discuss possible reasons and hypothesize that the most likely explanation is limited local demand for Bt owing to low levels of pest infestation. This would imply that global Bt cotton adoption rates may already be close to 100% when considering real demand for insect-resistant varieties.

Keywords: Bt cotton; Central Asia; political economy of GMOs.

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