000 02224nab a22003137a 4500
001 G96430
003 MX-TxCIM
008 121211b |||p||p||||||| |z||| |
024 8 _ahttps://doi.org/10.1080/10438590600692926
040 _aMX-TxCIM
041 0 _aEn
043 _aUS
100 1 _aShankar, B.
245 0 0 _aOutput risk aspects of genetically modified crop technology in South Africa
260 _c2007
520 _aTechnology involving genetic modification of crops has the potential to make a contribution to rural poverty reduction in many developing countries. Thus far, insecticide-producing ?Bt? varieties of cotton have been the main GM crops under cultivation in developing nations. Several studies have evaluated the farm-level performance of Bt varieties in comparison to conventional ones by estimating production technology, and have mostly found Bt technology to be very successful in raising output and/or reducing insecticide input. However, the production risk properties of this technology have not been studied, although they are likely to be important to risk-averse smallholders. This study investigates the output risk aspects of Bt technology using a three-year farm-level dataset on smallholder cotton production in Makhathini flats, Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. Stochastic dominance and stochastic production function estimation methods are used to examine the risk properties of the two technologies. Results indicate that Bt technology increases output risk by being most effective when crop growth conditions are good, but being less effective when conditions are less favourable. However, in spite of its risk increasing effect, the mean output performance of Bt cotton is good enough to make it preferable to conventional technology even for risk-averse smallholders.
546 _aEnglish
593 _aCarelia Juarez
595 _aRPC
653 0 _aBt cotton
653 0 _aGenetically modified crops
653 0 _aGM technology
653 0 _aRisk and uncertainty
653 0 _aStochastic dominance
700 1 _aBennett, R.,
_ecoaut.
700 1 _aMorse, S.,
_ecoaut.
773 0 _tEconomics of Innovation and New Technology
_gv. 16, no. 4, p. 277-291
942 _cJA
999 _c29074
_d29074