The Spread of Illegal Transgenic Cotton Varieties in India: Biosafety Regulation, Monopoly, and Enforcement

B-Tier
Journal: World Development
Year: 2012
Volume: 40
Issue: 1
Pages: 177-188

Authors (3)

Ramaswami, Bharat (Ashoka University) Pray, Carl E. (not in RePEc) Lalitha, N. (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

0.670 = (α=2.01 / 3 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Plantings of unapproved genetically modified seeds (GM) happen in many developing countries including Brazil, China, and India even though the law does not permit it. Is regulation impossible and what does that imply for safe use of GM seeds? This paper examines these questions in the case of unapproved GM cotton plantings in Gujarat, India. We find that enforcement was possible and that there are no obvious bio-safety implications. The popularity of unapproved seeds (confirmed by contingent valuations), the de-facto intellectual property of legal seeds and the federal polity of India contributed to non-compliance. This could matter for future innovations.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:wdevel:v:40:y:2012:i:1:p:177-188
Journal Field
Development
Author Count
3
Added to Database
2026-01-29