Study: Adoption of GM Crops Has Environmental, Cost Benefits

Crop biotechnology has boosted farm income and provided significant environmental benefits over the past 16 years of widespread adoption, according to a new research paper by European ag economics consultancy PG Economics. The report, "GM crops: global socio-economic and environmental impacts 1996-2011" was released this week in Chicago at the BIO International Convention. "Where farmers have been given the choice of growing GM crops, adoption levels have typically been rapid," said Graham Brookes, co-author of the report. He notes that high adoption levels are due to economic benefits – an average of over $130 per hectare in 2011, according to the study. For the 16-year period covered in the report, the global farm income gain due to biotech was calculated at $98.2 billion. Fewer inputs Of the total farm income benefit, $48 billion has been due to yield gains resulting from lower pest and weed pressure and improved genetics, with the balance arising from reductions in the cost of production. In 2011 alone, the net economic benefit at the farm level was $19.8 billion, the study reports. "The environment is also benefiting as farmers increasingly adopt conservation tillage practices, build their weed management practices around more benign herbicides and replace insecticide use with insect resistant GM crops," Brookes said. He concluded that reduction in pesticide spraying and the switch to no till cropping systems is continuing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. GHGs have decreased, the study says, because of less fuel use and additional soil carbon storage from reduced tillage with GM crops. In 2011, this was equivalent to removing 23 billion kg of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere – or 10.2 million cars from the road for one year, the study equates...more