Study: Bt Cotton Benefits Low-income Farmers in India
June 13, 2013| |
GM crops can reduce food insecurity, according to a study published in PLOS ONE journal, authored by Matin Qaim of Georg-August-University of Goettingen (Germany) and Shahzad Kouser of University of Agriculture (Pakistan).
The researchers surveyed the same farm households in India for seven years. In 2002, only 38 percent of the farmes planted insect resistant cotton. By 2008, 99 percent of the farms were already adopting Bt cotton.
Further analyses also showed that the adoption of GM cotton has significantly enhanced calorie consumption and dietary quality, leading to improved family outcomes. GM technology has reduced food insecurity by 15-20% among cotton-producing households. The authors concluded that GM crops alone is not the solution to hunger and malnutrition but they can be an important component in a broader food security strategy.
Read the open-access research article at http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0064879.
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