A study done by the University of Warwick (Coventry, UK) has shown that the use of Bt cotton has not only increased the income of rural workers in India, but significantly improved employment for women. According to Dr. Arjunan Subramanian, a research fellow at the University’s Warwick Manufacturing Group, the picking of cotton is typically done by women, while men scout and spray for pests. The higher yields produced by Bt cotton directly affect the amount of work available for women, he says, and has a downstream effect on Indian families as well.
“With reduced insecticide applications in Bt cotton, the demand for male family labor decreases [due to a reduced need for pest scouting and pesticide applications],” Dr. Subramian told Cotton International. “The alternative employment opportunities available to male workers are in other crops and livestock enterprises, agricultural services (for example, hiring out machinery), village production activities (including construction and small-scale manufacturing), retail trade (for example, grocery shopping and laundry), private services (such as barber or electrician) and transport services (e.g., bullock cart, tractor). The management time saved in Bt cotton production is reallocated to other agricultural and non-agricultural activities, such that the overall returns result in an increase of total household income.”
Researchers determined that Bt cotton generated additional employment in agricultural labor, raising the total wage income by US$40 per hectare. The bulk of that increase went to hired female laborers, who gained 55% in average income. When asked if the impact of Bt cotton will prompt the Indian government to promote more cotton cultivation, Dr. Subramanian replied, “The adoption rate of Bt cotton is currently very high, which shows that this crop is becoming popular in India. If the farmer’s welfare is of any concern to the Indian government, there is hardly any reason to believe that the growing of cotton will not be promoted.”