Top cotton researchers ignore adverse impacts of genetic engineering

The World Cotton Research Conference in Athens attracted delegates from more than 50 countries but papers demonstrated the lamentable lack of investment in research for ecological farming.

Transgenic cotton is spreading at an incredible pace. In the US, 45% of cotton planted is now transgenic. Roundup-resistant cotton covers 1.3 million ha. and Bollgard Bt-cotton, introduced in 1996, already makes up 1 million ha. In Australia, 20% of cotton is transgenic this year, mostly Bt-cotton (Ingard). In China, 45,000 ha of Bt-cotton were planted in 1998. Experimental cultivation is underway in Mexico, Spain, Greece, Egypt, South Africa, and Argentina. India and Pakistan are also engaging in transgenic research. 
    Although Bt cotton was claimed to reduce pesticide use by 60% this does not necessarily lead to real economic benefits to the grower. Furthermore, efficacy is reduced over the season and over years and is geographically variable. It is also certain that insect resistance will build up to Bt. 
    The research interests certainly showed a preoccupation with transgenic cotton and the issues of large-scale irrigated cotton. Yet the papers on transgenics, primarily on Bt cotton, paid almost no attention to the ecological implications and failed to consider the dramatic transformation taking place, with farmers becoming locked into contracts with seed firms. 
    Some countries are looking to reduce pesticide use through integrated pest management (IPM) practices. Australian policy is to advocate pesticide use as a last resort. IPM is the technology of choice, rather than as pesticide resistance management. But they consider control through natural enemies is some way off. By contrast, a US keynote speaker focused on management of pesticide resistance, and ‘tremendous potential for transgenic varieties’. The US approach still emphasises massive pest eradication programmes.
    Against this background, one of the three papers out of 379 on organic cotton could have been overlooked, and a project in Greece, for example, showed that while yields dropped substantially in the first 2-3 years, they surpassed conventional in the fourth year of production eventually giving a 9% higher gross margin to the farmer. 
    Researchers showed little interest in the problems of small-scale rainfed cotton, although developing country presenters discussed appropriate pest management for small scale farmers. In developing countries the socio-economics and farming systems issues have greater importance. FAO representative Barbosa stressed that: “Especially in developing countries, most of the accumulated information developed by research has not been translated into changes in the way cotton growers control pests and does not benefit the society which invested in research.”
    In an atmosphere notable for the lack of focus on ethical, socio-economic and ecological effects of transgenic varieties, the President of the Greek Cotton Board closed the conference with an encouraging request: “an ethical code should be developed for transgenic research, and decided upon during the next World Cotton Research Conference.”

World Cotton Research Conference, Athens, Greece, September 6-12, 1998, abstracts of papers presented are available for consultation at the Pesticides Trust [now PAN UK].

Based on a report by Peter Ton who is a researcher on organic cotton.

[This article first appeared in Pesticides News No.42, December 1998, page 8]