Potential Benefits of Biotech Cotton in West Africa: Bt Cotton in Burkina Faso

Since 2003, Monsanto has been working with the government of Burkina Faso to assess the potential value of transgenic insect control technology in cotton, the country's leading industry. Five years of confined field trials followed by open commercial-level trials have determined that the technology can raise grower profits substantially, largely by increasing yields and saving caterpillar insecticide input costs. This presentation will describe the testing progam, its results, and potential benefits for the small cotton grower.