BT Cotton Enables Mexican Farmers to Successfully Fight Pest Plagues
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New online videos feature farmers' experiences from adoption of biotechnology in Mexico.
St. Louis, MO February 6, 2007 -- In 2006, Mexican farmers planted 250,000 acres (100,000 hectares) of biotech crops, which have proven to be an important tool in controlling insect infestations and reducing the spraying of pesticides in cotton. Two new exclusive videos and podcasts - found on the Conversations about Plant Biotechnology Web site at monsanto.com/biotech-gmo/ - feature comments from three Mexican farmers, who share their individual perspectives on the adoption of biotechnology in Mexico.
In 1996, farmers in Mexico were among the first worldwide to adopt biotechnology crops. Insect-protected (Bt) cotton is effective in controlling the pink bollworm and cotton bollworm - two of seven predominant insects that plague cotton in Mexico. High insect infestation levels and economic losses in specific growing regions have driven adoption of biotechnology.
"When I started to sow conventional cotton, for me the hard part was controlling plagues. Dealing with those issues, you are farming day and night," says José Fernando Gutierrez, who farms 450 hectares of Bt cotton in Northern Mexico and is featured individually in one of the video segments.
The second video features Gutierrez and two of his fellow countrymen - Javier Dominguez Arreola and Cornelius Banman - who also discuss the benefits of biotechnology in Mexico. "I say anywhere there is difficulty controlling pests, Bt is a huge step forward and is the best solution for controlling them. It improves production, harvesting and cotton fiber quality, which directly affects earning," comments Javier Dominguez, who has 25 years of experience growing cotton in the state of Chihuahua.
According to a 2004 study conducted by Traxler and Godoy-Avila* cotton has become a low-pesticide crop in Mexico. Biotechnology has been an important tool in reducing the spraying of pesticides in cotton by more than 50 percent and is generating annual economic benefits of US$2.7 million.
"The technology has helped us to reduce costs so we could improve production. This has been a success also in the entire community, helping us to construct modern homes and improve equipment - all because the work is profitable, but more than anything, because we are working with new technologies," says Cornelius Banman, who also farms cotton in Northern Mexico.
In addition to these videos segments with Mexican farmers, visitors to the Conversations about Plant Biotechnology Web site can watch farmers from 11 countries discuss their experiences with biotech crops. Conversations about Plant Biotechnology is designed to give a voice and a face to the farmers and families who grow biotech crops and the experts who research and study the technology. The Web site contains more than 50, two- to three-minute, extremely candid, straightforward and compelling video segments with the people who know the technology best. The Web site is hosted by Monsanto Company - a leading global provider of technology-based solutions and agricultural products that improve farm productivity and food quality.
*Traxler, G., & Godoy-Avila, S. (2004). Transgenic Cotton in Mexico. AgBioForum, 7(1&2), 57-62.
Press Contact: Ranjana Smetacek,
Phone: 314-694-2642,
Website: monsanto.com/biotech-gmo/
