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

Abstract

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