Insecticide use on vegetables in Ghana: Would GM seed benefit farmers?

Tomato, cabbage, and garden egg (African eggplant, or Solanum aethiopicum) are important crops for small-scale farmers and migrants in the rural and peri-urban areas of Ghana. Genetic modification has the potential to alleviate poverty through combating yield losses from pests and diseases in these...

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Autores principales: Horna, Daniela, Smale, Melinda, Al-Hassan, Ramatu M., Falck-Zepeda, José B., Timpo, Samuel E.
Formato: Artículo preliminar
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: International Food Policy Research Institute 2008
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/160902
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author Horna, Daniela
Smale, Melinda
Al-Hassan, Ramatu M.
Falck-Zepeda, José B.
Timpo, Samuel E.
author_browse Al-Hassan, Ramatu M.
Falck-Zepeda, José B.
Horna, Daniela
Smale, Melinda
Timpo, Samuel E.
author_facet Horna, Daniela
Smale, Melinda
Al-Hassan, Ramatu M.
Falck-Zepeda, José B.
Timpo, Samuel E.
author_sort Horna, Daniela
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Tomato, cabbage, and garden egg (African eggplant, or Solanum aethiopicum) are important crops for small-scale farmers and migrants in the rural and peri-urban areas of Ghana. Genetic modification has the potential to alleviate poverty through combating yield losses from pests and diseases in these crops, while reducing health risks from application of hazardous chemicals. This ex ante study uses farm survey data to gauge the potential for adoption of genetically modified (GM) varieties, estimate the potential impact of adoption on farm profits, and highlight economic differences among the three crops. Farmers' expenditures on insecticides are below the economic optimum in all three crops, and the estimated function for damage abatement shows that insecticide amounts are significant determinants of cabbage yields only. Nonetheless, yield losses from pests and disease affect insecticide use. A stochastic budget analysis also indicates a higher rate of return to vegetable production with the use of resistant seeds relative to the status quo, even considering the technology transfer fee for GM seed. Non-insecticide users could accrue higher marginal benefits than current insecticide users. Comparing among vegetable crops with distinct economic characteristics provides a wider perspective on the potential impact of GM technology. Until now, GM eggplant is the only vegetable crop that has been analyzed in the peer-reviewed, applied economics literature. This is the first analysis that includes African eggplant.
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spelling CGSpace1609022025-11-06T07:24:40Z Insecticide use on vegetables in Ghana: Would GM seed benefit farmers? Horna, Daniela Smale, Melinda Al-Hassan, Ramatu M. Falck-Zepeda, José B. Timpo, Samuel E. biotechnology developing countries genetically modified foods pesticides pest management eggplants stochastic models Tomato, cabbage, and garden egg (African eggplant, or Solanum aethiopicum) are important crops for small-scale farmers and migrants in the rural and peri-urban areas of Ghana. Genetic modification has the potential to alleviate poverty through combating yield losses from pests and diseases in these crops, while reducing health risks from application of hazardous chemicals. This ex ante study uses farm survey data to gauge the potential for adoption of genetically modified (GM) varieties, estimate the potential impact of adoption on farm profits, and highlight economic differences among the three crops. Farmers' expenditures on insecticides are below the economic optimum in all three crops, and the estimated function for damage abatement shows that insecticide amounts are significant determinants of cabbage yields only. Nonetheless, yield losses from pests and disease affect insecticide use. A stochastic budget analysis also indicates a higher rate of return to vegetable production with the use of resistant seeds relative to the status quo, even considering the technology transfer fee for GM seed. Non-insecticide users could accrue higher marginal benefits than current insecticide users. Comparing among vegetable crops with distinct economic characteristics provides a wider perspective on the potential impact of GM technology. Until now, GM eggplant is the only vegetable crop that has been analyzed in the peer-reviewed, applied economics literature. This is the first analysis that includes African eggplant. 2008 2024-11-21T09:52:33Z 2024-11-21T09:52:33Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/160902 en Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Horna, Daniela; Smale, Melinda; Al-Hassan, Ramatu M.; Falck-Zepeda, Jose´ Benjamin; Timpo, Samuel E. 2008. Insecticide use on vegetables in Ghana. IFPRI Discussion Paper 785. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/160902
spellingShingle biotechnology
developing countries
genetically modified foods
pesticides
pest management
eggplants
stochastic models
Horna, Daniela
Smale, Melinda
Al-Hassan, Ramatu M.
Falck-Zepeda, José B.
Timpo, Samuel E.
Insecticide use on vegetables in Ghana: Would GM seed benefit farmers?
title Insecticide use on vegetables in Ghana: Would GM seed benefit farmers?
title_full Insecticide use on vegetables in Ghana: Would GM seed benefit farmers?
title_fullStr Insecticide use on vegetables in Ghana: Would GM seed benefit farmers?
title_full_unstemmed Insecticide use on vegetables in Ghana: Would GM seed benefit farmers?
title_short Insecticide use on vegetables in Ghana: Would GM seed benefit farmers?
title_sort insecticide use on vegetables in ghana would gm seed benefit farmers
topic biotechnology
developing countries
genetically modified foods
pesticides
pest management
eggplants
stochastic models
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/160902
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AT alhassanramatum insecticideuseonvegetablesinghanawouldgmseedbenefitfarmers
AT falckzepedajoseb insecticideuseonvegetablesinghanawouldgmseedbenefitfarmers
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