This is a resource to get students to think about why PPFs might shift out unevenly and to think about the short run and long run for the first time.
The key learning point is the difference between the movement along a PPF and a shift in the PPF itself.

High yield from India's GM crops



The GM cotton has dramatically increased yields
Source URL: 'BBC News article'

Cotton crops in India that were genetically modified to resist insects have produced dramatically increased yields.

This study may be especially promising for small-scale, low-income farmers in developing countries, it is claimed.

There was an average improvement in yield of between 80% and 90%.

The authors say the results are transferable to other parts of the world and to food crops which sustain similar types of pest damage.

However, in spite of these benefits, there has been a strong lobby against genetic modification in India.

Environmentalists are concerned about the damage GM pollen could do to crop diversity if it "contaminates" the 600 or so natural varieties growing in India.

They also say that in the long term, any gains in yield from GM cotton would undoubtedly be lost as the insects developed resistance.

Suppose for simplicity the economy can produce only cars or cotton. After reading the article, ask students to use mini whiteboards, to redraw the diagram to show the probable effects of the use of GM cotton in India: (i) In the short term (ii) In the longer term

The probable effects of the use of GM cotton in India

PPF graph
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Question for class 1
Question for class 2