GM Crops: The First Ten Years - International Service for the ...

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS Executive Summary and Conclusions This study presents the findings of research into the global socio-economic and environmental impact of GM crops in the ten years since they were first commercially planted on a significant area. It focuses on the farm level economic effects, the environmental impact resulting from changes in the use of insecticides and herbicides, and the contribution towards reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Background context The analysis presented is largely based on the average performance and impact recorded in different crops. The economic performance and environmental impact 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 below). 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. Farm income effects 1 The impact on farm incomes in the GM adopting countries has been very positive (Table 1). This derives from enhanced productivity and efficiency gains: • In 2005, the direct farm income benefit was about $5 billion. If the additional income arising from second crop soybeans in Argentina is also taken into consideration 2 , this income gain rises to $5.6 billion. This is equivalent to having added between 3.6% and 4.0% to the value of global production of the four main crops of soybeans, maize, canola and cotton; • Since 1996, farm incomes have benefited by $24.2 billion ($27 billion inclusive of second crop soybean gains in Argentina); 1 See section 3 for details 2 The availability of GM HT technology has played a major role in facilitating the expansion of second crop soybeans, usually following on from wheat (in the same season) vii
Executive Summary and Conclusions • The largest gains in farm income have arisen in the soybean sector, where the additional income generated by GM HT soybeans in 2005 has been equivalent to adding 7.1% to value of the crop in the GM growing countries, or adding the equivalent of 6.05% to the value of the global soybean crop; • Substantial gains have also arisen in the cotton sector (through a combination of higher yields and lower costs). In 2005, cotton farm income levels in the GM adopting countries were higher by $1.9 billion and since 1996, the sector has benefited from an additional $8.44 billion. The 2005 income gains are equivalent to adding 13.3% to the value of the cotton crop in these countries, or 7.3% to the value of total global cotton production; • Significant additions to farm incomes have also arisen in the maize and canola sectors. The combination of GM insect resistant (GM IR) and herbicide tolerant (GM HT) technology in maize has boosted farm incomes by over $3.1 billion since 1996. In the North American canola sector an additional $893 million has been generated. Table 1. Global farm income benefits from growing GM crops 1996-2005: million US$ Trait Increase in Increase in farm farm income income 2005 1996-2005 GM herbicide tolerant soybeans GM herbicide tolerant maize GM herbicide tolerant cotton GM herbicide tolerant canola GM insect resistant maize GM insect resistant cotton Others 2,281 (2,842) 212 166 195 416 1,732 25 11,686 (14,417) 795 927 893 2,367 7,510 66 Totals 5,027 (5,588) 24,244 (26,975) Farm income benefit in 2005 as % of total value of production of these crops in GM adopting countries 5.72 (7.1) Farm income benefit in 2005 as % of total value of global production of these crops Notes: Others = Virus resistant papaya and squash, rootworm resistant maize, Bracketed figures include second crop benefits in Argentina; Totals for the value shares exclude ‘other crops’ (ie, relate to the 4 main crops of soybeans, maize, canola and cotton) Table 2 summarises this information for some of the main GM adopting countries. This highlights the important farm income benefit arising from GM HT soybeans in Argentina, GM IR cotton in China and a range of GM cultivars in the US. It also illustrates the growing level of farm income benefits being obtained in developing countries such as South Africa, Paraguay, India and Mexico. In terms of the division of the economic benefits obtained by farmers in developing countries relative to farmers in developed countries, Table 3 shows that in 2005, the majority of the farm income benefits (55%) have been earned by developing country farmers. The vast majority of viii 0.82 1.16 9.45 1.57 12.1 n/a 6.0 (6.7) 4.86 (6.05) 0.39 0.64 1.86 0.77 6.68 n/a 3.6 (4.0)
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Page 5 and 6: Contents 3.6.2 China ..............
Page 7 and 8: List of Tables Table 37. Change in
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Page 20 and 21: 1 INTRODUCTION GM Crops: The First
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Page 26 and 27: 3 THE FARM LEVEL ECONOMIC IMPACT OF
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GM Crops: The First Ten Years c) Bu
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Table 28. Herbicide usage on soybea
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Table 38. Herbicide usage on cotton
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GM Crops: The First Ten Years Table
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GM Crops: The First Ten Years Table
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Table 47. Comparison of insecticide
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GM Crops: The First Ten Years g) Su
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In terms of GHG each litre of tract
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GM Crops: The First Ten Years As we
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GM Crops: The First Ten Years using
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GM Crops: The First Ten Years b) So
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GM Crops: The First Ten Years b) So
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4.2.7 Insect resistant cotton The c
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Table 63. Summary of carbon sequest
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Appendix Appendix 2: The Environmen
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Appendix environmental factor is eq
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Appendix 3: Additional information
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Typical herbicide regimes for GM HT
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Typical insecticide regimes for cot
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References Fernandez-Cornejo J & Mc
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ISBN 1-892456-41-9
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