Does technological change benefit everyone? The diffusion of GM cotton and the profitability constraints of small farmers in Chaco-Argentina

ARZA VALERIA; GOLDBERG LAURA & VAZQUEZ CLAUDIA

Buenos Aires

Conferencia; GLOBELICS 9th International Conference; 2011

This paper analyses small farmers’ adoption of GM cotton technology in Chaco,Argentina. We think about technologies as socio-technical configurations in whichtechnical, cultural, economic, social and political considerations all impact on the way atechnology works for different social groups. We show that the context of adoption ofGM technology by small farmers is markedly different to that of large farmers, onwhom the existing literature that assesses the benefits of GM cotton has focussed. Usinga qualitative methodology based on participatory workshops with small farmersconducted during 2010, complemented with in-depth interviews with key actors, weanalyse ruptures and continuities in small farmers’ practices since the introduction ofGM seeds. We find that small farmers’ production constraints have not changed or havebeen exacerbated. Small farmers adopt an incomplete version of the technologicalpackage and they are trapped in commercialisation chains. This situation has negativeeffects on both productivity and profitability. Since the literature has reported increasesin profits for large GM adopters, the profitability gap between small and large farmersmust have increased. We present a guideline for action that could help to bridge thatgap.