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October 2002
Economic Impact of Crop
Biotechnology
Issue Paper 5 • October 2002
ABE - Agricultural Biotechnology in Europe
Introduction
Much of what we hear about crop biotechnology is
related to environmental or health issues. There is less
discussion of the economic benefits, and yet they form an
important element in the development and uptake of the
technology in sustainable farming and the food chain in Europe.
The field of economics covers a wide range of
topics. In this paper, the fifth in the series dealing with
various aspects of modern biotechnology, we look at:
Experience
of commercial growing of GM crops in Spain.
Some of the
effects on world trade.
Market
implications of segregation of agricultural commodities.
Future
economic benefits, and who will receive them
Our main conclusions are:
GM crops
have been taken up by farmers at such a rapid rate because of
the very real economic benefits.
Already,
significant quantities of insect-resistant maize have been
grown in Spain, with no difficulties in selling the crops
through normal supply chains.
The
benefits already realised in Spain are available to other
European farmers and society as a whole as appropriate GM
crops are commercialised fully in the EU.
Any
possible market demand for larger quantities of segregated
commodity crops such as soya would lead to significant
premiums being paid, and it is unlikely that these can easily
be recouped from the consumer.
The full report is available as a very large PDF file at
http://abeurope.dynamicweb.dk/images/files/abe_issues_paper_5.pdf
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