This paper is relevant to the impact areas in the following areas:
| Crops | Cotton |
| Traits | Insect Res. (BT), Insect Resistance |
| Countries | India |
| Regions | Asia |
| Tags | small holders, varietal diversity |
Do transgenic crops cause agrobiodiversity erosion? We hypothesise that they increase productivity and reduce production risk and may therefore reduce farmers’ demand for on-farm varietal diversity, especially when only a few transgenic varieties are available. We also hypothesise that varietal diversity can be preserved when more transgenic varieties are supplied. These hypotheses are tested and confirmed with panel data for the case of transgenic cotton in India. Cotton varietal diversity in India, with over 90 per cent adoption of transgenic technology, is now at the same level than it was before the introduction of this technology. Some policy implications are discussed.
Transgenic crops, production risk and agrobiodiversity (held on an external server, and so may require additional authentication details)
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