Doctoral Dissertation Research: Genetically Engineered Crop Adoption and Liberalization Reforms in Burkina Faso

博士论文研究：布基纳法索的基因工程作物采用和自由化改革

• 批准号: 0902588
• 负责人: Daniel Press
• 金额: $ 1.2万
• 依托单位: University of California-Santa Cruz
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-06-01 至 2010-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0902588&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Research; Genetically; Engineered

The global food crisis has sharpened attention on how to improve conditions for the world's poor, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Burkina Faso is an African trend-setter in adopting two specific reforms, the liberalization of the state-run cotton sector and the adoption of genetically engineered (GE) cotton, both of which are designed to improve the livelihoods of poor producers and blunt the negative impacts of the food crisis. Preliminary research suggests, however, that both of these reforms may contribute to a widening gap between rich and poor by promoting economic opportunities that benefit the relatively rich to the neglect or detriment of the relatively poor. Such social differentiation could lead to decreased food production by poor rural producers and increased migration of poor rural producers to urban areas where they must purchase food at rising costs. In the case of both reforms, the Burkinabé state is depicted as a passive recipient of plans designed by international financial institutions (liberalization) and multinational agro-business companies (GE cotton). Little is known about how the state changes and implements reforms to help poor producers. This research has two goals: 1) to determine whether and how liberalization and GE cotton reforms contribute to a widening gap between rich and poor in Burkina Faso, and 2) to demonstrate the role of the state in contributing to this process of social differentiation. This research employs a mixed-method approach including archival research, critical document review, quantitative data, and interviews of rural producers and of key cotton sector actors and key informants. This research will evaluate whether two important reforms, namely the liberalization of the agricultural sector and the introduction of genetically engineered organisms are useful measures to address the food crisis. An output of this research with be whether to continue with such reforms and/or how to modify them to better achieve their goal of blunting the impacts of the food crisis for poor producers. This research will also demonstrate how the state interacts with these reforms, potentially exacerbating or diluting their impacts. These questions are of considerable concern given the current financial crisis, and a subsequent decrease in development assistance for poor countries. As a doctoral dissertation improvement grant this award empowers a promising student to establish a promising research career that aids society.

全球粮食危机使人们更加关注如何改善世界贫困人口的状况，特别是撒哈拉以南非洲地区的贫困人口。布基纳法索是非洲的潮流引领者，采取了两项具体改革，即国营棉花部门的自由化和采用转基因（GE）棉花，这两项改革旨在改善贫困生产者的生计并减轻粮食危机的负面影响。然而，初步研究表明，这两项改革可能会促进有利于相对富裕者的经济机会，而忽视或损害相对贫困者，从而导致贫富差距扩大。这种社会分化可能导致贫困农村生产者的粮食产量减少，并导致贫困农村生产者更多地迁移到城市地区，他们必须以不断上涨的成本购买粮食。在这两项改革中，布基纳法索国家被描述为国际金融机构（自由化）和跨国农业企业（转基因棉花）设计计划的被动接受者。人们对国家如何改变和实施改革来帮助贫困生产者知之甚少。这项研究有两个目标：1) 确定自由化和转基因棉花改革是否以及如何导致布基纳法索贫富差距扩大；2) 论证国家在促进这一社会分化过程中的作用。这项研究采用了混合方法，包括档案研究、关键文件审查、定量数据以及对农村生产者、棉花部门主要参与者和主要知情人的访谈。这项研究将评估两项重要的改革，即农业部门的自由化和引入转基因生物是否是解决粮食危机的有用措施。这项研究的成果是是否继续进行此类改革和/或如何对其进行修改，以更好地实现减轻粮食危机对贫困生产者影响的目标。这项研究还将展示国家如何与这些改革相互作用，从而可能加剧或削弱其影响。鉴于当前的金融危机以及随后对穷国的发展援助的减少，这些问题令人相当关注。作为博士论文改进补助金，该奖项使有前途的学生能够建立有前途的研究职业，以帮助社会。