The debate on whether genetically engineered (GE) crops can alleviate poverty in Africa continues to intensify. Thus far only one GE crop has been commercialized among smallholders – a pest resistant form of cotton – and only in two sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. We present evidence from Burkina Faso to argue that GE cotton adoption may increase the risk of all producers, may only bring benefits in the short term and may only benefit the relatively rich more than the relatively poor. These findings challenge the popular assumption that GE crops are the best way to alleviate rural poverty in SSA.