John Templeton Foundation Project

Project Title: Adoption and Uptake Pathways of GM/Biotech Crops by Small-scale, Resource-poor Farmers: Comparative Studies in China, India, and the Philippines

Biotech crops are the fastest adopted technology in recent history. In the last few years, over 148 million hectares of biotech crops were grown in 29 countries by 15.4 million farmers of which an estimated 90% are small resource-poor farmers in developing countries. Of the developing countries in Asia that grow biotech crops, China, India, and the Philippines have had the most extensive experience. They represent an unmatched wealth of experience of resource-poor farmers that can provide critical information and insights towards a better understanding of the social environment for biotech crop adoption.

This project aims to analyze the dynamics of adoption and uptake pathways of biotech crops in the three countries and the changes these have brought about in resource-poor farmers' lives.  This project will forward concrete empirical basis for understanding farmer adoption of biotech crops of which very little information is available from the developing world. It will provide insights into developing paradigms and strategies to increase farmer acceptation and adoption of a beneficial technology.