Engineering yields and inequality? How institutions and agro-ecology shape Bt cotton outcomes in Burkina Faso

► This research assesses how institutions and agro-ecology mediate the performance of Bt cotton in Burkina Faso. ► Unique seed pricing arrangements and secure credit enhance the success and evenness of Bt cotton. ► High seed price, persistent corruption and late cotton payments reduce adoption rates. ► Risks associated with Bt cotton appear to disproportionally affect resource-poor farmers. ► Bt cotton's performance cannot be separated from its sociological and agro-ecological context.