Reproducibility package for Seeds Of Change: The Effects Of The Introduction Of Bt Cotton In India
Reference ID
RR_IND_2025_488
Author(s)
Yi Jie Gwee
Collections
Metadata
Created on
Nov 26, 2025
Last modified
Nov 26, 2025
Overview
Abstract
Although many studies have examined the factors affecting structural transformation, the role of relative factor endowments has not been extensively explored. This paper examines the effects of the introduction of Bt cotton in India and finds substantial increases in cotton output and the land allocated to growing it. The effects diminish as the ratio of labor-to-land increases. This suggests that when inputs are complementary and technological change is labor augmenting, the relative scarcity of other inputs can limit productivity gains, shaping patterns of structural transformation. Despite increases in cotton land and output, the share of workers in agriculture remained unchanged.
Reproducibility Package
Scripts
File name
RR_IND_2025_488
Zip package
RR_IND_2025_488.zip
Title
Reproducibility package for Seeds Of Change: The Effects Of The Introduction Of Bt Cotton In India
Date
2025-11
Dependencies
Stata dependencies are listed in the ado folder.
Instructions
See README in reproducibility package.
Notes
Computational reproducibility verified by Development Impact (DECDI) Analytics team, World Bank.
Source code repository
| Repository name | URI |
|---|---|
| Reproducible Research Repository (World Bank) | https://reproducibility.worldbank.org |
Reproducibility
Technology environment
Paper exhibits were reproduced on a computer with the following specifications:
• OS: Windows 11 Enterprise
• Processor: INTEL(R) XEON(R) PLATINUM 8562Y+ 2.80 GHz (4 processors)
• Memory available: 32.0 GB
Technology requirements
Run time: 10 minutes
Reproduction instructions
- Secure Access to Data: Access the datasets not included in the package. See subsection Datasets and the README for more details.
- Download and Place Data: Once the data is accessed, users should place it in the appropriate folder.
- Run the Package: After placing the data in the folder, run the files in the order:
- Update the global in line 14 of the do-file "0_main" to your folder's location and until the do-file "c4_crosswalk_banks_dld"
- Follow the instructions in the "ArcGIS Reproducibility Instructions" to process the datasets in ArcGIS
- Run the rest of the do-files in "0_main"
Since all the data is not included, the package includes the results produced by replicators. These files can be used to review the results presented in the paper.
Data
Datasets
Name
District Level Database (DLD) for Indian Agriculture and Allied Sectors
Note
Data files were downloaded and compiled from the source listed under Data URL. Detailed extraction instructions are provided in the README.
Files: raw/DLD/Apportionment.xlsx; raw/DLD/Apportioned/: Crops_Area Production Yield.csv; raw/DLD/Unapportioned/: Census_Operational Holdings.csv; Crops_Area Production Yield.csv; Environment_Evapotranspiration.csv; Environment_Precipitation.csv; Environment_Temperature Maximum.csv; Environment_Temperature Minimum.csv; Infrastructure_Markets Roads.csv; Inputs_Fertilizer Consumption.csv; Irrigation_Sourcewise Irrigated Area.csv; Prices_Farm Harvest Prices.csv
Access policy
Publicly available and included in the package.
License
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License
License URL
http://data.icrisat.org/dld/src/about-dld.html
Data URL
http://data.icrisat.org/dld/src/crops.html
Citation
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and Tata Cornell Institute (TCI). District Level Database (DLD) (Apportioned and Unapportioned). Hyderabad, India: ICRISAT and TCI. Accessed 2024–2025.
Name
National Sample Survey – Employment and Unemployment module
Note
Files: /raw/NSS/IND_NSS_43_EMP_1987_1988_clean.dta; IND_NSS_55_EMP_1999_2000_clean.dta; IND_NSS_61_EMP_2004_2005_clean.dta; IND_NSS_62_EMP_2005_2006_clean.dta; IND_NSS_64_EMP_2007_2008_clean.dta; IND_NSS_66_EMP_2009_2010_clean.dta; IND_NSS_68_EMP_2011_2012_clean.dta; stata12_final_1989-1989(44th)_v2.dta; stata12_final_2000-1989(55th)_v2.dta; stata12_final_2004-1989(60th)_v2.dta; stata12_final_2007-1989(64th)_v2.dta; stata12_final_2009-1989(66th)_v2.dta; stata12_final_2012-1989(68th)_v2.dta
Access policy
Publicly available and included in the package.
License
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License
Data URL
https://www.openicpsr.org/openicpsr/project/150441/version/V1/view?path=/openicpsr/150441/fcr:versions/V1/Data/Source/NSS&type=folder
Citation
Liu, Maggie, Shamdasani, Yogita, and Taraz, Vis. Data and Code for: Climate Change and Labor Reallocation: Evidence from Six Decades of the Indian Census: Data: Source: NSS. Nashville, TN: American Economic Association [publisher], 2023. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2023-04-07. https://doi.org/10.3886/E150441V1-190886
Name
Adoption of Bt Cotton
Note
This file contains data that were digitized from some columns in Table 1 of the paper: Choudhary, Bhagirath and Kadambini Gaur, “Biotech cotton in India, 2002 to 2014: Adoption, impact, progress & future,” 2020. SAAA Series of Biotech Crop Profiles.
Files: /raw/Others/Choudhary and Gaur (2015).xlsx
Access policy
Publicly available and included in the package.
Citation
Choudhary, B. and Gaur, K. 2015. Biotech Cotton in India, 2002 to 2014. ISAAA Series of Biotech Crop Profiles. ISAAA: Ithaca, NY
Name
The Basic Statistical Returns
Note
The pdf files can be downloaded from the Reserve Bank of India’s website. Follow the instructions in the README to download the files.
Files: raw/Banks/rbi_banks1999.xlsx
Access policy
Publicly available and included in the package.
Citation
Reserve Bank of India. 1999. Basic Statistical Returns: District and Population Group–Wise Deposits and Credit of Scheduled Commercial Banks. Tables 2.4 (Parts 1–4). Retrieved from: https://rbi.org.in/Scripts/AnnualPublications.aspx?head=Basic%20Statistical%20Returns. Accessed 2025.
Name
India 2009 Second-level Geography
Note
Scroll to “India” and select “2009” to download the files from the URL below.
Files: Shapefiles in folder /GIS Districts/geo2_in2009
Access policy
Data is publicly available but cannot be redistributed.
License URL
https://www.ipums.org/about/terms#:~:text=Usage:%20You%20agree%20to%20use,venture%20either%20privately%2C%20or%20otherwise
Data URL
https://international.ipums.org/international/gis_yrspecific_2nd.shtml
Citation
Steven Ruggles, Lara L. Cleveland, Rodrigo Lovatón Dávila, Sula Sarkar, Matthew Sobek, Derek Burk, Dan E. Ehrlich, Jane Lee, and Nate Merrill. IPUMS International: Version 7.7 [dataset]. Minneapolis, MN: IPUMS, 2025. https://doi.org/10.18128/D020.V7.7
Name
India 2009-10 employment survey
Note
Follow the instructions in the README to download the dataset. The metadata for the downloaded data can be found in “GIS Districts/IPUMS/IPUMS India 2009-10.txt”.
Files: /GIS Districts/IPUMS/IPUMS India 2009-10.dta
Access policy
Data is publicly available but cannot be redistributed.
License URL
https://www.ipums.org/about/terms#:~:text=Usage:%20You%20agree%20to%20use,venture%20either%20privately%2C%20or%20otherwise
Data URL
https://international.ipums.org/international-action/variables/group.
Citation
Steven Ruggles, Lara L. Cleveland, Rodrigo Lovatón Dávila, Sula Sarkar, Matthew Sobek, Derek Burk, Dan E. Ehrlich, Jane Lee, and Nate Merrill. IPUMS International: Version 7.7 [dataset]. Minneapolis, MN: IPUMS, 2025. https://doi.org/10.18128/D020.V7.7
Name
Global Agro-Ecological Zones (GAEZ) database
Note
File contains the information on the potential yield of cotton under “high” and "low" inputs. Accompanying metadata for the files can be found in “GIS Districts/FAO GAEZ/Irrigated/Agro-climatic Potential Yield_High.csv” and “GIS Districts/FAO GAEZ/Irrigated/Agro-climatic Potential Yield_Low.csv”.
Files: /GIS Districts/FAO GAEZ/cott200a_yld_high.tif; /GIS Districts/FAO GAEZ/cott200a_yld_low.tif
Access policy
Publicly available and included in the package.
License URL
https://www.fao.org/contact-us/terms/en/
Citation
FAO and IIASA. Global Agro Ecological Zones version 4 (GAEZ v4). Accessed 2025. URL: http://www.fao.org/gaez/
Data statement
All data sources are publicly available but not all are included in the reproducibility package.
Description
Output
Type
Working Paper
Title
Seeds Of Change: The Effects Of The Introduction Of Bt Cotton In India
Description
Policy Research Working Papers (PRWP)
Authors
| Author | Affiliation | |
|---|---|---|
| Yi Jie Gwee | World Bank | ygwee@worldbank.org |
Date of production
2025-11-19
Scope and coverage
Geographic locations
| Location | Code |
|---|---|
| India | IND |
Keywords
Structural Transformation
Technological Change
Labor Reallocation
Migration
Topics
Disclaimer
Disclaimer
The materials in the reproducibility packages are distributed as they were prepared by the staff of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this event do not necessarily reflect the views of the World Bank, the Executive Directors of the World Bank, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the materials included in the reproducibility package.
Access and rights
License
| Name | URI |
|---|---|
| Modified BSD3 | https://opensource.org/license/bsd-3-clause/ |
Contacts
Contacts
| Name | Affiliation | |
|---|---|---|
| Yi Jie Gwee | World Bank | ygwee@worldbank.org |
| Reproducibility WBG | World Bank | reproducibility@worldbank.org |
Information on metadata
Producers
| Name | Abbreviation | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reproducibility WBG | DECDI | World Bank - Development Impact Department | Verification and preparation of metadata |
Date of Production
2025-11-19
Document version
1