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Bt Cotton and Farmer Suicides in India: An Evidence-based Assessment

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  • Guillaume Gruere
  • Debdatta Sengupta

Abstract

Bt cotton is accused of being responsible for an increase of farmer suicides in India. In this article, we provide a comprehensive review of evidence on Bt cotton and farmer suicides. Available data show no evidence of a 'resurgence' of farmer suicides. Moreover, Bt cotton technology has been very effective overall in India. Nevertheless, in specific districts and years, Bt cotton may have indirectly contributed to farmer indebtedness, leading to suicides, but its failure was mainly the result of the context or environment in which it was planted.

Suggested Citation

  • Guillaume Gruere & Debdatta Sengupta, 2011. "Bt Cotton and Farmer Suicides in India: An Evidence-based Assessment," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 47(2), pages 316-337.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jdevst:v:47:y:2011:i:2:p:316-337
    DOI: 10.1080/00220388.2010.492863
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    1. Smale, Melinda & Zambrano, Patricia & Gruère, Guillaume & Falck-Zepeda, José & Matuschke, Ira & Horna, Daniela & Nagarajan, Latha & Yerramareddy, Indira & Jones, Hannah, 2009. "Measuring the economic impacts of transgenic crops in developing agriculture during the first decade: Approaches, findings, and future directions," Food policy reviews 10, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    2. Gandhi, Vasant P. & Namboodiri N V, 2006. "The Adoption and Economics of Bt Cotton in India: Preliminary Results from a Study," IIMA Working Papers WP2006-09-04, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, Research and Publication Department.
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    1. Muhammad Irshad Ahmad & Les Oxley & Hengyun Ma, 2020. "What Makes Farmers Exit Farming: A Case Study of Sindh Province, Pakistan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-17, April.
    2. Benjamin P. Warner, 2016. "Understanding actor-centered adaptation limits in smallholder agriculture in the Central American dry tropics," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 33(4), pages 785-797, December.
    3. S.S. Kalamkar, 2013. "Biotechnology in Indian Agriculture: Review of Adoption and Performance of Bt Cotton," Millennial Asia, , vol. 4(2), pages 211-236, October.
    4. Kouser, Shahzad & Qaim, Matin & Abedullah, 2015. "Bt cotton and employment effects for female agricultural laborers in Pakistan: An application of double-hurdle model," 2015 Conference, August 9-14, 2015, Milan, Italy 212014, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    5. Smyth, Stuart J. & Falck-Zepeda, Jose & Ludlow, Karinne, 2016. "The Costs of Regulatory Delays for Genetically Modified Crops," Estey Centre Journal of International Law and Trade Policy, Estey Centre for Law and Economics in International Trade, vol. 17(2), pages 1-23, December.
    6. Wu, Qi & Mérel, Pierre & Sexton, Richard J., 2020. "Economic and Climatic Determinants of Farmer Suicide in the United States," 2020 Annual Meeting, July 26-28, Kansas City, Missouri 304337, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    7. Preston, Christopher J. & Wickson, Fern, 2016. "Broadening the lens for the governance of emerging technologies: Care ethics and agricultural biotechnology," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 48-57.
    8. Yashobanta Parida & Devi Prasad Dash & Parul Bhardwaj & Joyita Roy Chowdhury, 2018. "Effects of Drought and Flood on Farmer Suicides in Indian States: An Empirical Analysis," Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, Springer, vol. 2(2), pages 159-180, July.
    9. Sonal Barve & K.S. Kavi Kumar & Brinda Viswanathan, 2019. "Weather Shocks, Agricultural Productivity and Farmer Suicides in India," Working Papers 2019-185, Madras School of Economics,Chennai,India.
    10. Ramasundaram, P. & Suresh, A. & Samuel, Josily & Wankhade, Shwetal, 2014. "Welfare Gains from Application of First Generation Biotechnology in Indian Agriculture: The Case of Bt Cotton," Agricultural Economics Research Review, Agricultural Economics Research Association (India), vol. 27(1).
    11. Kouser, Shahzad & Qaim, Matin, 2011. "Impact of Bt cotton on pesticide poisoning in smallholder agriculture: A panel data analysis," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(11), pages 2105-2113, September.
    12. Wu, Qi & Merel, Pierre & Sexton, Richard J., 2022. "Economic and Climate Determinants of Farmer Suicide in the United States," 2022 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Anaheim, California 322342, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    13. Christopher Jeffords & Farhed Shah, 2011. "On the Natural and Economic Difficulties to Fulfilling the Human Right to Water," Economic Rights Working Papers 17, University of Connecticut, Human Rights Institute.
    14. Hebous, Sarah & Klonner, Stefan, 2014. "Economic Distress and Farmer Suicides in India: An Econometric Investigation," Working Papers 0565, University of Heidelberg, Department of Economics.
    15. Shafiq, M. Najeeb, 2015. "Aspects of Moral Change in India, 1990–2006: Evidence from Public Attitudes toward Tax Evasion and Bribery," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 136-148.
    16. Stan Becker, 2013. "Has the World Really Survived the Population Bomb? (Commentary on “How the World Survived the Population Bomb: Lessons From 50 Years of Extraordinary Demographic History”)," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 50(6), pages 2173-2181, December.
    17. Sarthak Gaurav & Srijit Mishra, 2012. "To Bt or not to Bt? Risk and uncertainty considerations in technology assessment," Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai Working Papers 2012-001, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai, India.
    18. Bina Agarwal & Ankush Agrawal, 2016. "To farm or not to farm? Indian farmers in transition," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series 012016, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    19. Richard Bownas, 2016. "Lost in Transnationalism? GMOs in India and the Eclipse of Equitable Development Discourse," Journal of South Asian Development, , vol. 11(1), pages 67-87, April.
    20. Shreya Sinha, 2020. "Betting on Potatoes: Accumulation in Times of Agrarian Crisis in Punjab, India," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 51(6), pages 1533-1554, November.
    21. Shareen Hertel, 2015. "Hungry for Justice: Social Mobilization on the Right to Food in India," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 46(1), pages 72-94, January.
    22. Kurup, Suresh A. & Reddy, A. Amarender & Singh, Dharm Raj & Praveen, K.V, 2021. "Risks in Rainfed Agriculture and Adaptation Strategies in India: Profile and Socio-Economic Correlates," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315127, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    23. Glenn Stone & Andrew Flachs, 2014. "The problem with the farmer’s voice," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 31(4), pages 649-653, December.
    24. Basu, Deepankar & Das, Debarshi & Misra, Kartik, 2016. "Farmer Suicides in India: Levels and Trends across Major States, 1995-2011," UMASS Amherst Economics Working Papers 2016-01, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Department of Economics.

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