Genetically modified crops in developing countries

1
Genetically modified crops in developing countries

• by Birgit Schiller and Brigitta Knopf

2
Can genetically modified crops aid developing
countries raise their standard of living?

• An overview
• An example Bacillus thuringiensis - cotton
• Hopes and success, fears and disappointments

3
Bt cotton in India and China

• What is Bt cotton?
• Production in India and China
• A closer look at the situation

4
What is Bt cotton?

• Bacillus thuringiensis gene
• Resistance to bollworm
• Higher yield, less pesticides

5
Production in India and China

• India
• ? Field trials since 1997
• ? Commercial cultivation from 2002 2005
• ? Strict regulations for cultivation
• China
• ? Commercial cultivation since 1997
• ? Ban on foreign investment

6
A closer look at the Situation

• India
• Monopoly of US owned company
• Illegal selling
• Inequality
• China
• Failure to produce high yield effects
• Government subsidiaries on pesticides
• Distrust of other countries

7
Hopes

• Situation increasing population
• gap between poor and rich
• Classical farming methods have reached its limit
• GM crops to feed

8
Success and Disappointments

• Company High yield effects
• Government No statement
• NGOs Low effects
• Farmers expensive
• small crops

9
Fears

• Growing Opposition
• Environmental concerns
• Economical concerns
• Emotional fears

10
Summary

• Developing GM crops especially for one region
• Including local structure
• Ensuring proper handling
• Better information

11
Thank you!

• Literature
• Science 289, 1279-1281 (2000) Asia gets a taste
  of genetic food fights
• Science 298, 2317-2318 (2002) China Takes a bumpy
  road from the lab to the field
• TIPS 7, 322-323 (2002) India joins the GM club
• NatBiotech 20, 1069 (2002) Poor crop managment
  plagues Bt cotton experiment in India
• Nature 421, 681 (2003) India debates results of
  its first transgenic cotton crop
• NatBiotech 22, 255- 256 (2004) India produces
  homegrown GM cotton
• indiatogether.org/ agriculture/
• www.hinduonnet.com