Pledge Award Winner: Introduction of Insect-Protected Biotech Cotton in Burkina Faso
Imagine a place where a farmer wakes to find 90 percent of his cotton crop destroyed by insect infestation. Eight years ago, this nightmare was a reality for the farmers of Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso is the second poorest country in the world, and cotton is the primary source of income for smallholder farmers. Two-million people make a living from cotton production, which represents 60 percent of the country’s exports. Cotton is a cash crop that helps farmers pay for medication, household equipment and their children’s education. However, it is often ravaged by insects, devastating 90 percent of the crop. The only way to guarantee a crop is with pesticide treatment, but this is a drain on resources, both human and financial.
Something needed to be done to increase chances of a successful harvest. During the 2003 Ministerial Conference in Sacramento, California, the Burkina Faso minister of agriculture made a direct request for help to Dr. Robb Fraley, Monsanto's chief technology officer. At the time, Burkina Faso had no agricultural biotechnology regulatory structure, limited regulatory and technical capacities and limited understanding of biotechnology.
Monsanto formed a team to provide guidance and expertise as the country developed the necessary stewardship and regulatory protocols. The potential to benefit a large portion of the population, given the high yield loss due to insect infestation and strong technical fit for insect-protected cotton, encouraged the team to pursue commercialization. The national agriculture and environment research institute (INERA) outlined its commitment to working with Monsanto and implemented a technical protocol enabling it to test local varieties.
The cotton coalition, which consists of producers, dealers, the national research center and the government, held open field days that allowed people to visit trials. This transparency resulted in cotton growers having their questions answered, and it helped them develop trust and confidence as the trials progressed.
Throughout the process, the Monsanto team respected decisions made locally and shared knowledge throughout the cotton industry. “This effort has been a very long haul,” Philippe Castaing, Monsanto corporate affairs lead for Europe and Africa, said. “Having the same core team from the start to the final home stretch helped instill confidence with all those involved. Consistency and persistence did pay off.”
After a nearly eight-year process, farmers in one of the poorest countries in the world now have the choice to plant insect-protected cotton. This is a commercial success for Monsanto, and at the same time it improves the lives of smallholder farmers and expands economic development in a resource-poor country.
“The small[holder] farmers of sub-Saharan Africa generally, and Burkina Faso specifically, are among the poorest on earth,” John Greenplate, Monsanto global expansion scientist, said. “By providing larger, more stable yields, and substantially raising earnings, Genuity™ Bollgard II® cotton has the potential to improve the lives of millions who rely directly on cotton production for most of their income.
Monsanto Company is a member of Excellence Through Stewardship(SM) (ETS). This product has been commercialized in compliance with the ETS Product Launch Stewardship Guidance and the Monsanto Product Launch Stewardship policy, after meeting applicable regulatory requirements in key export markets with functioning regulatory systems. Any crop or material produced from this product can only be exported to, or used, processed or sold in countries where all necessary regulatory approvals have been granted. It is a violation of national and international law to move material containing biotech traits across boundaries into nations where import is not permitted. Growers should talk to their grain handler or product purchaser to confirm their buying position for this product. Excellence Through Stewardship(SM) is a service mark of Biotechnology Industry Organization. Growers may utilize the natural refuge option for varieties containing the Bollgard II® trait in the following states: AL, AR, FL, GA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MS, MO, NC, OK, SC, TN, VA, and most of Texas (excluding the Texas counties of Brewster, Crane, Crockett, Culberson, El Paso, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Loving, Pecos, Presidio, Reeves, Terrell, Val Verde, Ward and Winkler). The natural refuge option does not apply to Bollgard II cotton grown in areas where pink bollworm is a pest, including CA, AZ, NM, and the above listed Texas counties. It also remains the case that Bollgard® and Bollgard II cotton cannot be planted south of Highway 60 in Florida, and that Bollgard cotton cannot be planted in certain other counties in the Texas panhandle. Refer to the Technology Use Guide and IRM Guide for additional information regarding Bollgard II, Bollgard, natural refuge and EPA-mandated geographical restrictions on the planting of Bt cotton. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Bollgard II®, Genuity™, Genuity and Design™, and Genuity Icons are trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC. ©2009 Monsanto Company.
