Biotechnology in Indian Agriculture: Review of Adoption and Performance of Bt Cotton

Biotechnology and genetically modified crops has been the subject of debate, especially with respect to developing countries. Like in other countries, introduction of Bt (bacillus thuringiensis) cotton in India led to an intense scientific debate and public controversy surrounding yield advantage, multinational control of seeds, human health, environmental risk and ethics. An attempt has been made in this article to review the adoption and performance of Bt cotton in India. The commercial release of first GM (genetically modified) crop, Bt cotton in 2002 led to the beginning of a ‘Gene Revolution’ in India. Today, almost 90 per cent of cotton area is planted to Bt cotton in India, with farmers adopting it in a rapid manner. Studies that looked into the impact of the Bt cotton on different parameters are not uniform and many voices have been raised for and against Bt cotton. The inconsistency in the results surely played a role in fueling the controversy over the use of the Bt cotton and its benefits for India farmers and therefore gains of Bt cotton cannot be generalized to all farmers, all states, and all years.