In my research, I study the impact of transgenic cotton adoption on cotton production in sub-Saharan Africa. I am also interested in econometric methods for program evaluation in economic development.

In my most recent working paper, I estimate the impact of the transgenic cotton, particularly Bt cotton, on cotton production in Burkina Faso by exploiting the synthetic control method illustrated by Abadie, Diamond, and Hainmueller (2010). I find that over the post-treatment years from 2007 to 2014, cotton production in Burkina Faso increased in the range of 16.3% to 46% due to the adoption of the Bt technology. This translates into an additional 26,064 to 123,211 tonnes of cotton lint produced and an additional export revenue of approximately 43 million to 171 million USD in Burkina Faso. The cumulative effect of Bt cotton adoption over 2007 to 2014 is estimated at an additional 529,430 metric tons of cotton lint and 765.61 million USD in export revenue for Burkina Faso, over the entire period. The treatment effects observed over these years are statistically significant at the 1% significance level. This suggests some initial success for transgenic cotton in Burkina Faso.