Estimating the Impact of Transgenic Bt Cotton on West and Central Africa: A General Equilibrium Approach

West and Central Africa (WCA)’s cotton sector is experiencing rising production costs and lower yields, reversing decades of growth. Declining input use, soil fertility and inefficient chemical pest controls are contributing factors. We evaluate the potential impact of Bt cotton on WCA using a multiregion general equilibrium model and multicountry estimates of Bt-induced productivity. We find that Bt cotton raises growers’ returns, land value and welfare. Released labor from cotton is shifted to food crops hence reducing labor shortage constraints. Overall, results indicate that potential gross benefits from Bt cotton are substantial for WCA cotton sector, and that the economic costs of nonadoption are equally significant.     

我国农村劳动力＂反梯度＂流动的经济学分析——以新疆采棉工为例

农村劳动力“反梯度”流动是我国经济和社会转型期间出现的一种特殊现象。从流向看，它有悖于劳动力由乡一城、由落后地区一发达地区流动的规律。文章采用经济学分析方法，以新疆采棉工为研究对象，从理论和现实两个层面研究分析采棉工理性的流动决策行为以及基本特征和相关影响因素。     

新疆棉农残膜回收行为影响因素及实证研究*——基于棉农的调研数据

［目的］为响应农业农村部“农业绿色发展五大行动”,加强农业面源污染防治,缓解新疆棉田残膜危害,基于新疆棉农的问卷调查研究棉农的残膜回收行为。［方法］采用描述性统计和Logistic回归模型分析影响新疆棉农残膜回收行为的因素。［结果］（1）新疆农用地膜回收率低,地膜污染形势严峻。（2）棉农对残膜危害认知缺乏,对残膜回收的间接价值认识不足,影响新疆残膜回收效率。（3）残膜回收的成本收益是影响棉农残膜回收行为的关键因素,其他如棉农年龄、种棉年限、对残膜危害的认知等自身特征,以及农户劳动力数量、政府对残膜污染的关注程度等因素对棉农的残膜回收行为有重要影响。［结论］网络及电视广播等现代媒体对棉农的残膜危害认知水平有较大影响,棉农更愿意采用成本更节约的焚烧、堆地的残膜处理方式。因此提出引导棉农残膜回收、提高棉田残膜回收效率的对策建议。     

Competitiveness of Egyptian cotton exports in the international market

Cotton plays a vital role in the Egyptian economy by meeting domestic and export demands,contributing significantly to agriculture,industry,export earnings,and providing a cash income to roughly one million small farmers.This paper examines the competitiveness of Egyptian cotton exports（ECE） in the international market during the period 1990-2006.It mainly aims at investigating the trends in cotton exports over the studied period,analyzing the competitive position of Egyptian cotton by employing several economic and trade indices,and identifying the key factors that influence Egypt＇s cotton exports to the world.The results revealed that the total quantity of ECE has fallen from 196.8 thousand tons in 2003 to 87.2 thousand tons in 2006.It also shows a high degree of geographic concentration of ECE,into India,Italy,the Republic of Korea,and Japan.Together,these markets imported about 50%of ECE during 1990-2006.The competitive advantage of Egyptian cotton would appear dependent on quality not price.Japan,the Republic of Korea and Italy presented the most stable markets for ECE.Linear regression analysis suggests that a one percent increase in the Egypt-to-USA export price ratio leads to a decrease in ECE by about 27.8 thousand tons.Such analysis has also shown a positive and significant effect of the World Trade Organization on ECE.     

Ecosystem impacts of pesticide reductions through Bt cotton adoption

This article examines the ecosystem impacts of transgenic Bt cotton technology resulting from reduced chemical pesticide use. Employing unique panel data from smallholder farmers in India, negative environmental and health effects of pesticide use are quantified with the environmental impact quotient (EIQ), with and without Bt technology. An environmentally sensitive dynamic production function is estimated, treating the environmental risk of pesticide toxicity as an undesirable output in the production process. Negative externalities are significantly lower in Bt than in conventional cotton. The reduction in EIQ through Bt technology adoption has increased from 39 per cent during 2002–2004 to 68 per cent during 2006–2008. Bt adoption has also contributed to higher environmental efficiency. Environmental efficiency is influenced by the quality of Bt technology: high‐quality Bt seeds are associated with higher environmental efficiency than lower‐quality seeds.     

目标价格对新疆地方棉区棉花规模的调控效应研究

[目的]2014年起国家在新疆实施棉花目标价格试点工作,标志着新疆棉花价格正式由政府指导价时代进入市场主导时代。目标价格改革试点是完善农产品价格形成机制的一个重要举措,属于国家调控政策范畴,研究国家棉花目标价格政策对新疆棉区棉花种植规模的调控效应,对促进新疆棉花产业发展、保障国家棉花安全具有重要的意义。[方法]该研究选用新疆棉花种植面积和价格的多年时序数据,采用格兰杰因果关系检验模型和棉花价格敏感度系数,从定性与定量分析新疆棉花价格与种植规模之间关系入手,深入探讨目标价格对全疆棉区整体及各个地州棉花种植规模的调控效应。[结果]棉花价格对棉花种植规模具有滞后性影响,且对不同区域棉花种植规模的影响存在显著差异;适度的目标价格水平在一定程度上实现了调减新疆棉花种植规模、促进棉花生产向优势产区集聚、优化棉花类型结构的目标。基于此,提出新疆棉花生产发展的政策建议。[结论]目标价格政策对新疆地方棉区棉花规模调控效应显著。     

目标价格改革试点对棉花市场的影响分析

[目的]通过分析棉花目标价格改革试点工作实施前后3年内(2011~2016年)棉花生产和需求变化情况,研究新疆目标价格改革对棉花市场的影响。[方法]运用3年滑动平均法,比较分析了棉花目标价格改革试点工作前后我国棉花产业的市场变化。[结果]自2014年棉花目标价格改革试点工作全面启动以来,生产方面:全国棉花种植结构日趋合理,新疆棉花种植优势明显,棉花市场价格形成机制初步建立,棉农利益得到了保护;市场需求影响方面:棉花价格逐步回归市场,国内外棉价差显著缩小,棉纺织企业经营状况趋于好转,棉花产业正在转型升级,但棉花市场整体需求不旺。[结论]试点工作取得了阶段性成效,但同时在信息化进程、棉花产业发展模式、生产力提升等方面暴露出一些问题亟待解决;下一步应进一步完善相关政策体系、加快棉花产业升级、加强科技创新,并推进信息化建设。     

A Question of Integrity: Variants of Bt Cotton,Pesticides and Productivity in Pakistan

Bt cotton remains one of the most widely grown biotech crops among smallholder farmers in lower income countries, and numerous studies attest to its advantages. However, the effectiveness of Bt toxin, which depends on many technical constraints, is heterogeneous. In Pakistan, the diffusion of Bt cotton occurred despite a weak regulatory system and without seed quality control; whether or not many varieties sold as Bt are in fact Bt is also questionable. We utilise nationally representative sample data to test the effects of Bt cotton use on productivity. Unlike previous studies, we invoke several indicators of Bt identity: variety name, official approval status, farmer belief, laboratory tests of Bt presence in plant tissue, and biophysical assays measuring Bt effectiveness. Only farmer belief affects cotton productivity in the standard production model, which does not treat Bt appropriately as damage‐abating. In the damage control framework, all Bt indicators reduce damage from pests. Biophysical indicators have the largest effect and official approval has the weakest. Findings have implications for impact measurement. For policy‐makers, they suggest the need, on ethical and productivity grounds, to improve variety information and monitor variety integrity closer to point of sale.     

The Costs of Coexistence Measures for Genetically Modified Maize in Germany

We estimate the perceived costs of legal requirements (‘coexistence measures’) for growing genetically modified (GM) Bt maize in Germany using a choice experiment. The costs of the evaluated ex‐ante and ex‐post coexistence measures range from zero to more than €300 per measure and most are greater than the extra revenue the farmers in our survey expect from growing Bt maize or than estimates in the literature. The cost estimates for temporal separation, the highest in our evaluation, imply that the exclusion of this measure in Germany is justified. The costliest measures of the ones that are currently applied in Germany are joint and strict liability for all damages. Our results further show that neighbours do not cause a problem and opportunities for reducing costs through agreements with them exist. Finally, we find that farmers’ attitudes towards GM crops affect the probability of adoption of Bt maize. Our results imply that strict liability will deter the cultivation of Bt maize in Germany unless liability issues can be addressed through other means, for example, through neighbours agreements.