London, United Kingdom
October 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 Limited, 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.
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. |