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    Home / Benefits of plant science / Biotechnology Benefits & Safety Database / An Application of Life-cycle Assessment for Environmental Planning and Management - The Potential Environmental and Human Health Impacts of Growing Genetically-modified Herbicide-tolerant Sugar Beet

    An Application of Life-cycle Assessment for Environmental Planning and Management - The Potential Environmental and Human Health Impacts of Growing Genetically-modified Herbicide-tolerant Sugar Beet (2006)

    This paper is relevant to the Safety & Health Impact, and Environmental categories in the following areas:

    Crops:Sugar Beet
    Traits:Herbicide Tolerance
    Countries:Germany, and United Kingdom
    Regions:Europe
    ImpactAreas:Environmental, and Safety & Health

    Abstract or Summary:

    Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) was used to assess the potential environmental and human health impacts of growing genetically-modified (GM), herbicide-tolerant sugar beet in the UK and Germany compared with conventional sugar beet varieties. The GM variety results in lower potential environmental impacts on global warming, airborne nutrification, ecotoxicity (of soil and water) and watercourse enrichment, and lower potential human health impacts in terms of production of toxic particulates, summer smog, carcinogens and ozone depletion. Although the overall contribution of GM sugar beet to reducing harmful emissions to the environment would be relatively small, the potential for GM crops to reduce pollution from agriculture, including diffuse water pollution, is highlighted.

    Download An Application of Life-cycle Assessment for Environmental Planning and Management - The Potential Environmental and Human Health Impacts of Growing Genetically-modified Herbicide-tolerant Sugar Beet

    * CropLife International gives full acknowledgement to the author and publisher of this article (see download for details).