Publication - 26 January, 2010
Monsanto's genetically engineered (GE) cotton varieties sold to Colombian farmer failed in 2008-9, proving susceptible to pests and to herbicide, farmers had been earlier told would improve yields.
Executive summary: The failure of genetically-engineered (GE) cotton in Colombia deepened already hard times for many farmers in the 2008/2009 growing season. In the field, two new varieties of GE cotton proved disastrous in Cordoba Province, Colombia’s most important cotton-growing region. Farmers there have sued Monsanto, saying it misled them about the varieties, which were reportedly attacked by caterpillars and damaged by herbicides that the plants were supposed to resist. Economically, GE seeds and accompanying herbicides contribute to high farm costs that have made more than half of Colombian cotton farms unprofitable, despite government subsidies.
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Number of pages: 2
Counting the Costs of Genetic Engineering - the report documents numerous case studies demonstrating the adverse environmental, economic and social impacts of genetic engineering, suggesting sustainable agricultural solutions instead.
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