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LONDON (Oct. 12, 2005) — After just nine
years of commercialisation, biotech crops have made a significant, positive
impact on the global economy and environment, decreasing pesticide spraying
and reducing the environmental footprint associated with pesticide use by 14
percent, according to a study released today.
“Since 1996, adoption of biotech crops has contributed to reducing
greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and decreased pesticide spraying,”
said Graham Brookes, director of PG Economics, and one of the authors who
conducted the study. “While greatly enhancing the way farmers in 18
countries produce food, feed and fiber, biotech crops have reduced the
environmental footprint associated with agricultural practices. This study
offers the first quantifiable global look at the impact of biotech crop
production.”
The study, “GM crops: the global
socio-economic and environmental impact — the first nine years 1996–2004,”
reported that biotech crops contributed to significantly reduced greenhouse
gas emissions from agricultural practices. This reduction results from
decreased fuel use, about 1.8 billion litres in the past nine years, and
additional soil carbon sequestration because of reduced ploughing or
improved conservation tillage associated with biotech crops. In 2004, this
reduction was equivalent to eliminating more than 10 billion kg of carbon
dioxide from the atmosphere, or removing 5 million cars — one-fifth of the
cars registered in the United Kingdom — from the road for one year.
Biotech crops have reduced the volume of pesticide spraying globally by 6
percent since 1996, equivalent to a decrease of 172.5 million kg, according
to the study. That’s equivalent to eliminating 1,514 rail cars of
pesticide’s active ingredient. The largest environmental gains from changes
in pesticide spraying have been from biotech soybeans and cotton, which have
reduced the associated environmental footprint by 19 percent and 17 percent,
respectively. The global pesticide usage savings in 2004 were equivalent to
about one third of total pesticide active ingredient used on European arable
crops.
According to the study, the industrialised nations of the United States and
Canada, as well as the developing nations of China, South Africa and
Argentina, experienced the greatest reductions in the environmental impact
of crop production.
“As the world is increasingly focused on the need to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions, it is
clear biotech crops are already making an important positive contribution to
achieving this goal,”
Brookes said.
In addition to environmental gains from biotech crops, substantial net
economic benefits at the farm level have been realized. Since 1996, global
farm income has increased by a cumulative total of $27 billion derived from
a combination of enhanced productivity and efficiency gains. This increase
in farm income is equivalent to adding 3 percent to 4 percent to the value
of global production of the four main biotech crops. Herbicide-tolerant
soybeans have generated the greatest gains at more than $17 billion in
increased income, while biotech cotton farmers improved their income by $6.5
billion in the past nine years.
Growers in the United States and Argentina have reaped the greatest rewards,
each gaining approximately $10 billion in the past nine years, while farmers
in China have experienced a $4 billion income increase from planting biotech
cotton.
In addition to the significant measurable benefits, valuable indirect
benefits that are more difficult to quantify can be credited to biotech crop
adoption. These include increased management flexibility, facilitating
reduced tillage practices, reduced production risk and improved crop
quality.
“The EU is currently missing out on these environmental and economic
benefits. As a European citizen, I find it difficult to see why we are
denying ourselves a clear opportunity to improve our environment and to
improve the incomes and efficiency of our agricultural sector.”
More than 8.25 million farmers in 18 countries around the world have adopted
biotech crops, and 90 percent of those are resource-poor producers located
in developing countries.
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A full manuscript of the report is available - click the title:
GM crops: the global socio-economic and environmental impact - the first
nine years 1996-2004 (Full Report pdf 762 kb).
This study was compiled based largely on
extensive analysis of existing farm-level economic impact data on biotech
crops and additional primary analysis of the environmental impact from base
data. A shorter version of the report has been peer reviewed and published
in the Journal of Agrobiotechnology Management and Economics (AgbioForum.
www.agbioforum.org) - click the
title:
GM Crops: The Global Economic and Environmental Impact - The
First Nine Years 1996 - 2004. AgBioForum 8
(2&3): 187-196 (2005) (PDF 242 kb).
PG Economics are independent consultants
specialising in the economic and environmental impact of technology in
agriculture.
For more information, contact:
John Dutcher at (515) 334-3464 or
dutcherj@fleishman.com
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Co-existence
introduction A copy of the report "Genetically
Modified Maize - Pollen Movement and Crop Co-existence" can be
downloaded - click here!
Co-existence of GM and
non-GM crops: current experience and key principles
Co-existence in
North American agriculture: can GM crops be grown with conventional and
organic crops?
GM and non GM arable crops can
co-exist in the EU without problems: says new research paper
Co-existence
of GM and non GM crops in the UK can occur without problems
Co-existence of GM
and non GM crops: economic and market perspectives - PDF format
Co-existence
of GM and non GM crops: case study of maize grown in Spain - PDF format
Co-existence
of GM and non GM crops in the UK can occur without problems - PDF format
EU Commission report on co-existence
EU Paper on GMO's in seeds |
