GM Crops: The Global Scio-economic and Environmental Impact - The First Nine Years 1996-2004 (2005)

This paper is relevant to the Agronomic, and Socio-Economic categories in the following areas:

Abstract or Summary:

The analysis presented is largely based on the average performance and impact recorded in different crops. The economic performance and environmental ‘foot print’ of the technology at the farm level does, however vary widely, both between and within regions/countries. This means that the impact of this technology (and any new technology, GM or otherwise) is subject to variation at the local level. Also the performance and impact should be considered on a case by case basis in terms of crop and trait combinations.

Agricultural production systems (how farmers use different and new technologies and husbandry practices) are dynamic and vary with time. This analysis seeks to address this issue, wherever possible, by comparing GM production systems with the most likely conventional alternative, if GM technology had not been available. This is of particular relevance to the case of GM herbicide tolerant (GM HT) soybeans, where prior to the introduction of GM HT technology, production systems were already switching away from conventional to no/low tillage production (in which the latter systems make greater use of, and are more reliant on, herbicide-based weed control systems - the role of GM HT technology in facilitating this fundamental change in production systems is assessed.

In addition, the market dynamic impact of GM crop adoption (on prices) has been incorporated into the analysis by use of current prices (for each year) for all crops.

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