Economic Impacts of Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) Cotton

ABSTRACT

In recent years, high-yield production has gained importance due to the decrease in agricultural fields in the world and the rapid increase in the population. Cotton is an important source of income for farmers worldwide and is an important crop, especially for the textile industry. Bt-cotton technology, which entered our lives in 1996, has been quickly adopted in many developed and developing countries. It has been shown to provide advantages in many areas. In particular, the economic growth is gaining importance every year. Additionally, it has also brought an environmentally friendly solution to the crop losses caused by insects and pests over the years, by decreasing chemical spraying. Thus, the cost of farmers was reduced and their health was preserved. It enables farmers to be more profitable by shortening the working hours in the fields and reducing labor force. Moreover, this technology has been shown to increase the yield in cotton production. Fifteen years since the commercialization of Bt-cotton technology was first approved and planted, farmers made profit of million dollars from reduced pesticide use. This study includes detailed information about the contribution of Bt-cotton technology to the leading cotton-producing countries’ economies, their commercialization, and explores the current methods used in plants transformation. Although there are some conflicts about whether this technology will provide sustainability and long-term benefits, currently, there are 15 countries that have adopted this technology including India, China and the United States. Also, many more countries are expected to be included in this list in the coming years.

抽象

近年来, 由于世界农业田的减少和人口的迅速增加, 高产成为越来越重要的. 棉花是全世界农民的重要收入来源, 是纺织业的重要作物. Bt-棉花技术于1996年进入我们的生活, 在许多发达国家和发展中国家迅速得到采用. 它已被证明在许多领域具有优势. 特别是, 经济增长每年都在增加重要性. 此外, 它还通过减少化学喷洒, 为多年来昆虫和害虫造成的作物损失带来了一种无害环境的解决方案. 因此, 农民的费用降低了, 他们的健康得到保护. 它通过缩短田间工作时间和减少劳动力, 使农民获得更高的利润. 此外, 该技术已证明可提高棉花产量. Bt-棉花技术首次得到批准并种植15年来, 农民通过减少农药使用赚取了数百万美元的利润. 这项研究包括关于Bt-棉花技术对主要棉花生产国经济的贡献及其商业化的详细资料, 并探讨了目前用于植物转化的方法. 虽然这项技术能否带来可持续性和长期效益存在一些矛盾, 但目前有15个国家采用了这项技术, 包括印度, 中国和美国. 此外, 预计更多的国家将列入这一名单.

KEYWORDS:

• Production
• price
• income
• import
• export
• GM crops

关键词:

• 生产
• 价格
• 收入
• 进口
• 出口
• 作物