Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a naturally occurring soil bacterium that produces proteins active against certain insects. Beginning in the mid-1990s, crop plants expressing Bt genes were commercialized in the United States. Cry1Ab and Cry1F Bt corn are effective in controlling certain pests of corn (European corn borer, corn ear-worm and southwestern corn borer), and Cry1Ac Bt cotton is effective in controlling certain pests of cotton (tobacco budworm, cotton bollworm and pink bollworm). Beyond the economic benefits to growers, the use of Bt corn and Bt cotton result in less risk to human health and the environment than chemical alternatives.

Read more about safety of Bt crops.

• Are Bt crops safe? (PDF)(7 pp, 212 K)