一項(xiàng)刊登在PNAS上的研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，至少有一種轉(zhuǎn)基因農(nóng)作物——被改造成抵御常見(jiàn)昆蟲(chóng)害蟲(chóng)的棉花——已經(jīng)顯著提高了印度小型農(nóng)戶(hù)家庭的生活標(biāo)準(zhǔn),。在2002年到2008年間,，Jonas Kathage 和 Matin Qaim對(duì)印度四個(gè)主要生產(chǎn)棉花的邦的533戶(hù)家庭進(jìn)行了調(diào)查。這些樣本包括了種植稱(chēng)為Bt棉花的轉(zhuǎn)基因作物的農(nóng)民以及沒(méi)有種植它們的農(nóng)民,。前一組報(bào)告說(shuō)棉花產(chǎn)量和利潤(rùn)分別增加了24%和50%。
這組科研人員把這種增加歸結(jié)為棉鈴蟲(chóng)破壞的減少,。他們進(jìn)一步確定了一旦這些種植者意識(shí)到這種利潤(rùn)收益是可持續(xù)的,，種植Bt棉花的農(nóng)民的生活標(biāo)準(zhǔn)就提高了18%。由于這些農(nóng)民大多數(shù)相對(duì)貧窮，這組作者報(bào)告說(shuō),，這種收益已經(jīng)對(duì)他們的生活產(chǎn)生了巨大的積極影響,。
這些發(fā)現(xiàn)反駁了早先的一個(gè)主張，即轉(zhuǎn)基因作物技術(shù)因?yàn)檩^低的和侵蝕性的經(jīng)濟(jì)收益而可能傷害到小型農(nóng)戶(hù),。這組作者說(shuō),，由于Bt棉花是唯一一種已經(jīng)被小型農(nóng)戶(hù)廣泛種植的作物，這項(xiàng)研究可能影響更廣泛的公眾生物技術(shù)辯論,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
doi:10.1073/pnas.1203647109
PMC:
PMID:
Economic impacts and impact dynamics of Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) cotton in India
Jonas Kathage1 and Matin Qaim1
Despite widespread adoption of genetically modified crops in many countries, heated controversies about their advantages and disadvantages continue. Especially for developing countries, there are concerns that genetically modified crops fail to benefit smallholder farmers and contribute to social and economic hardship. Many economic studies contradict this view, but most of them look at short-term impacts only, so that uncertainty about longer-term effects prevails. We address this shortcoming by analyzing economic impacts and impact dynamics of Bt cotton in India. Building on unique panel data collected between 2002 and 2008, and controlling for nonrandom selection bias in technology adoption, we show that Bt has caused a 24% increase in cotton yield per acre through reduced pest damage and a 50% gain in cotton profit among smallholders. These benefits are stable; there are even indications that they have increased over time. We further show that Bt cotton adoption has raised consumption expenditures, a common measure of household living standard, by 18% during the 2006–2008 period. We conclude that Bt cotton has created large and sustainable benefits, which contribute to positive economic and social development in India.
