GM cotton in China: innovation integration and seed market disintegration

The idea prevails that the specific advantages of Bt-cotton have permitted the successful diffusion of Genetically Modified Cotton in China. The efficiency of Bt-cotton however fluctuates between cotton production regions. In Jiangsu Province, along the Yangtze River Valley, there is not really yield increase, reduction in insecticide control is of limited extent and, globally, there is no income gain associated specifically to the use of Bt-cotton. The use of Bt-cotton is nevertheless almost general there. A more comprehensive approach, beyond focusing on the Bt-cotton specific effects, helps to explain this apparent paradox. In Jiangsu province, the diffusion of Bt-cotton has benefited from its integration into hybrid cultivars which are perfectly adapted to the profitable transplanting technique. This Chinese case indicates that the appraisal of Bt-cotton use in other countries should consider the extent to which this use would be compatible (or not) to existing production technologies. In China, the commercialization of Bt-cotton has induced the disintegration of the publicly-monitored seed market. Farmers firstly benefited from the process of seed market modernization but they now suffer from the excessive privately-oriented disintegration of the seed market. Adjustment of the public regulation is needed to help achieve a successful restructuring of the seed market. (Résumé d'auteur