Biotech Updates

Potential Economic Benefits of Adopting Bt Cotton in Selected COMESA Countries

May 22, 2013

Researchers from the University of Nairobi, ISAAA AfriCenter, and Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) conducted a study to estimate the potential economic benefits of adopting Bt cotton in selected African countries.

Governments in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) region are debating about the commercial approval of Bt cotton. To come up with a sound decision, empirical evidence of the possible gains of producers, consumers and technology innovators must be provided. Thus, the researchers used economic surplus framework to demonstrate the welfare gains of the countries adopting the technology and loses of the non-adopting countries.

The study concluded that all countries could have the same gains per hectare except for Egypt which gains four times more than the other countries.

Read the research paper at http://www.agbioforum.org/v16n1/v16n1a02-mulwa.htm.