Farm income and production impacts of using GM crop technology 1996–2016

Abstract

This paper estimates the value of using genetically modified (GM) crop technology in agriculture at the farm level. It follows and updates earlier annual studies which examined impacts on yields, key variable costs of production, direct farm (gross) income and impacts on the production base of the four main crops of soybeans, corn, cotton and canola. The commercialisation of GM crops has occurred at a rapid rate since the mid 1990s, with important changes in both the overall level of adoption and impact occurring in 2016. This annual updated analysis shows that there continues to be very significant net economic benefits at the farm level amounting to $18.2 billion in 2016 and $186.1 billion for the period 1996-2016 (in nominal terms). These gains have been divided 48% to farmers in developed countries and 52% to farmers in developing countries. About 65% of the gains have derived from yield and production gains with the remaining 35% coming from cost savings. The technology has also made important contributions to increasing global production levels of the four main crops, having, for example, added 213 million tonnes and 405 million tonnes respectively, to the global production of soybeans and maize since the introduction of the technology in the mid 1990s.

The future of plant biotechnology in a globalized and environmentally endangered world

“…The higher productivity of the currently commercialized GM crops alleviates the pressure to convert additional land for agriculture. For example, if the world were no longer to use GM crops, an additional 22.4 Mha would be required to maintain the global production at 2016 levels (Brookes and Barfoot, 2018). For GM HT crops alone, the land use impact would be more 762 Mha of cropping area, of which 53% would be new land brought into agriculture, including 167 Mha of deforestation.…”

“…Twenty-one years of GM crop agriculture produced a net economic benefit at farm level of $ 186.1 billion, of which 52% were reaped by farmers in developing countries. These gains are mostly yield and productivity gains (65%); the remaining 35% are from cost savings (Brookes and Barfoot, 2018).…”

Impacts of the EU GMO regulatory framework for plant genome editing

“…There is evidence, however, that EU farmers are missing out on the economic benefits enjoyed by farmers in countries that have embraced GM crops (Brookes & Barfoot, ). Between 1999 and 2006, Romanian farmers had access to GM herbicide tolerant (HT) soybean, during which time they reported net gains of 18% due to better weed management and reduced inputs and Romania became a net exporter of soybean for the first time.…”

“…The ability of developing country farmers to produce higher yields (with reduced crop losses due to better weed and pest control) while lowering their input costs (labor and pesticide costs) is a significant factor in helping close the poverty gap (e.g., Ali & Abdulai, ; Kathage & Qaim, ). It is now estimated that biotech crops have been grown by 16–17 million small‐holder, resource poor farmers, and their families totaling >65 million people, in some of the poorest places in the world (Brookes & Barfoot, ).…”

Risks of Pollen-Mediated Gene Flow From Genetically Modified Maize During Co-Cultivation With Usual Maize Varieties

“…Для сравнения, площадь мировых посевов биотехнологических культур увеличилась с 1,7 млн га в 1996 году до 189,8 млн га в 2017 году (более чем в 100 раз) (48). В 2016 году общий мировой доход фермеров от использования ГМ-кукурузы составил 2,1 млрд USD, совокупный доход за 1996-2016 годы -13,1 млрд USD, из них 4,5 млрд USD (34 %) были обусловлены увеличением доходности, остальная часть -снижением себестоимости продукции (49). В обзоре А.А.…”