[F]armer Elie Gnoumou scanned his cotton field in the south of Burkina Faso… with visible relief.

…“IΆve had to do six insecticide treatments so far and thereΆs probably two more to go,” Gnoumou said. “But itΆs looking good.”

The West African nation decided in April to halt the production of genetically modified cotton because the short fiber was hurting its reputation and cutting revenue… the countryΆs three cotton companies and the producersΆ association told farmers to sow only conventional seeds…

That left 350,000 cotton growers worried theyΆd face a drop in income. Conventional cotton is more vulnerable to parasites… forcing farmers to buy more pesticides and in some cases expand their acreage, according to Wilfried Yameogo, managing director of state-controlled Sofitex…

…“With GM cotton, I knew the yield I would get,” [Gnoumou] said. “With conventional cotton, you donΆt know what will happen.”

. . . .

“When you know the advantages and the ease of growing GM cotton, the return to conventional cotton is very hard,” SofitexΆs Yameogo said. “But itΆs the price to pay to meet the demands of the global market.”