Study Asks: Would GM Seed Benefit Farmers?

Tomato, cabbage, and garden egg (African eggplant) are important crops for small-scale farmers and migrants in the rural and peri-urban areas of Ghana. An ex ante study  “Insecticide Use on Vegetables in Ghana: Would GM Seed Benefit Farmers?” by Daniela Horna and colleagues from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) uses farm survey data to gauge the potential for adoption of GM varieties, estimate the potential impact of adoption on farm profits, and highlight economic differences among the three crops.

Farmers' expenditures on insecticides are below the economic optimum for all three crops.The estimated function for damage abatement shows that insecticide amounts are significant determinants of cabbage yields only. Nonetheless, yield losses from pests and disease affect insecticide use. Non-insecticide users could accrue higher marginal benefits than current insecticide users. Comparing vegetable crops with distinct economic characteristics provides a wider perspective on the potential impact of GM technology.

Visit http://www.ifpri.org/pubs/dp/ifpridp00785.asp for additional information or email Christina Lakatos of IFPRI at c.lakatos@cgiar.org.