Independent studies have demonstrated not only that these pesticide reduction claims are unfounded, but that GM crops have substantially increased pesticide use, particularly since 1999. Dr. Benbrook conducted an exhaustive analysis of USDA data on pesticide use in agriculture from 1996 to 2004. His conclusion was that over this nine-year period, the adoption of GM soy, corn, and cotton has led to the use of 122 million more lbs of pesticides than would have been applied if these GM crops had not been introduced. A small decrease in insecticide use attributable to insect-resistant corn and cotton (-16 million lbs) has been swamped by a much larger increase in herbicide use on herbicide-tolerant crops (+138 million lbs) (Benbrook, C. 2004).
Much of this increasing herbicide use is attributable to a dramatic rise in application of glyphosate (Roundup) on Monsanto's glyphosate-tolerant (Roundup Ready) crops. In 1994, the year before the first Roundup Ready crop (RR soy) was introduced, 7,933 million lbs of Roundup were used on soybeans, corn and cotton. By 2005, glyphosate use on these three crops had increased 15-fold, to 119,071 million lbs (Table 9). Over the same period, Roundup Ready crop acreage45 in the U.S. increased from 0 acres (1994) to 102 million acres (2005), an area larger than the state of California. In 2006, Roundup Ready crop acreage rose 14% more, to 116 million acres. Initially, the rising use of glyphosate on Roundup Ready crops was more than offset by reductions in the use of other pesticides. Beginning in 1999, however, weeds that could no longer be controlled with the normal dose of glyphosate began to emerge, driving farmers to apply more of it (see Section 3.4).
Thus, the widespread adoption of Roundup Ready crops combined with the emergence of glyphosate-resistant weeds has driven a more than 15-fold increase in the use of glyphosate on major field crops from 1994 to 2005. The trend continues. In 2006, the last year for which data are available, glyphosate use on soybeans jumped a substantial 28%, from 75,743 million lbs in 2005 to 96,725,000 million lbs in 2006 (See Table 9).
Herbicide-resistant weeds and pesticide use
- glyphosate-resistant weeds
Monsanto first introduced glyphosate in the US in 1976 (Monsanto, 2007b), and for two decades there were no reports of glyphosate-resistant weeds. By 1998, only rigid ryegrass had developed resistance to the chemical in California. Extensive weed resistance first developed only several years after the introduction of Monsanto's Roundup Ready soybeans in 1995, Roundup Ready cotton and canola in 1997, and Roundup Ready corn in 1998 (Monsanto, 2007b). Scientists who first identified glyphosate-resistant horseweed in Delaware in 2000 attributed their evolution to the continuous planting of Roundup Ready crops...
When forced to admit that herbicide-tolerant crops increase overall pesticide use, biotech industry apologists quickly fall back on a second claim: the increasing use of glyphosate has reduced the use of more toxic herbicides, and so benefits the environment. While this was true in the first few years of Roundup Ready crops, a look at recent trends in herbicide use undermines this claim.
More and more, farmers are being told to combat glyphosate resistant weeds by applying other chemicals, often in combination with higher rates of glyphosate. As early as 2002, Ohio State University agricultural advisers recommended using 2,4-D plus metribuzin plus paraquat as pre-emergence chemicals to control glyphosate-resistant marestail in Roundup Ready soy (Loux, and Stachler, 2002). In September 2005, reports of glyphosate resistant Palmer amaranth in Georgia cotton fields prompted Monsanto to recommend that farmers use several additional herbicides with Roundup, including Prowl (pendimethalin), metolachlor, diuron and others. The company also suggested that farmers planting any RR crops use pre-emergence residual herbicides in addition to Roundup (Monsanto, September 13, 2005). In the same year, weed scientists in Tennessee noted that Palmer amaranth in the state survived applications of up to 44 ounces per acre of Roundup, and so recommended that farmers use additional
herbicides such as Clarity, 2,4-D, Gramoxone Max or Ignite (Farm Progress, September 23, 2005).
Monsanto is the world's largest seed firm, holds a near monopoly in the biotech "traits" incorporated in GM seeds, and markets Roundup, the world's biggest selling pesticide.
Much of this increasing herbicide use is attributable to a dramatic rise in application of glyphosate (Roundup) on Monsanto's glyphosate-tolerant (Roundup Ready) crops. In 1994, the year before the first Roundup Ready crop (RR soy) was introduced, 7,933 million lbs of Roundup were used on soybeans, corn and cotton. By 2005, glyphosate use on these three crops had increased 15-fold, to 119,071 million lbs (Table 9). Over the same period, Roundup Ready crop acreage45 in the U.S. increased from 0 acres (1994) to 102 million acres (2005), an area larger than the state of California. In 2006, Roundup Ready crop acreage rose 14% more, to 116 million acres. Initially, the rising use of glyphosate on Roundup Ready crops was more than offset by reductions in the use of other pesticides. Beginning in 1999, however, weeds that could no longer be controlled with the normal dose of glyphosate began to emerge, driving farmers to apply more of it (see Section 3.4).
Thus, the widespread adoption of Roundup Ready crops combined with the emergence of glyphosate-resistant weeds has driven a more than 15-fold increase in the use of glyphosate on major field crops from 1994 to 2005. The trend continues. In 2006, the last year for which data are available, glyphosate use on soybeans jumped a substantial 28%, from 75,743 million lbs in 2005 to 96,725,000 million lbs in 2006 (See Table 9).
Herbicide-resistant weeds and pesticide use
Monsanto first introduced glyphosate in the US in 1976 (Monsanto, 2007b), and for two decades there were no reports of glyphosate-resistant weeds. By 1998, only rigid ryegrass had developed resistance to the chemical in California. Extensive weed resistance first developed only several years after the introduction of Monsanto's Roundup Ready soybeans in 1995, Roundup Ready cotton and canola in 1997, and Roundup Ready corn in 1998 (Monsanto, 2007b). Scientists who first identified glyphosate-resistant horseweed in Delaware in 2000 attributed their evolution to the continuous planting of Roundup Ready crops...
When forced to admit that herbicide-tolerant crops increase overall pesticide use, biotech industry apologists quickly fall back on a second claim: the increasing use of glyphosate has reduced the use of more toxic herbicides, and so benefits the environment. While this was true in the first few years of Roundup Ready crops, a look at recent trends in herbicide use undermines this claim.
More and more, farmers are being told to combat glyphosate resistant weeds by applying other chemicals, often in combination with higher rates of glyphosate. As early as 2002, Ohio State University agricultural advisers recommended using 2,4-D plus metribuzin plus paraquat as pre-emergence chemicals to control glyphosate-resistant marestail in Roundup Ready soy (Loux, and Stachler, 2002). In September 2005, reports of glyphosate resistant Palmer amaranth in Georgia cotton fields prompted Monsanto to recommend that farmers use several additional herbicides with Roundup, including Prowl (pendimethalin), metolachlor, diuron and others. The company also suggested that farmers planting any RR crops use pre-emergence residual herbicides in addition to Roundup (Monsanto, September 13, 2005). In the same year, weed scientists in Tennessee noted that Palmer amaranth in the state survived applications of up to 44 ounces per acre of Roundup, and so recommended that farmers use additional
herbicides such as Clarity, 2,4-D, Gramoxone Max or Ignite (Farm Progress, September 23, 2005).
Monsanto is the world's largest seed firm, holds a near monopoly in the biotech "traits" incorporated in GM seeds, and markets Roundup, the world's biggest selling pesticide.
2. Genetically Modified Crops Only a Fraction of Primary Global Crop Production
by Alice McKeown
WorldWatch Institute, December 4 2008
In 2007, farmers planted an additional 12.3 million hectares of genetically modified (GM) crops, bringing the total global area up 12 percent to 114.3 million hectares.1 (See Figure 1.) Genetically modified crops (also called biotech crops) have been intentionally altered through genetic engineering—the elimination, alteration, or introduction of new genetic elements, including from one unrelated species to another. Although they have been on the market for a decade, they currently account for a modest 9 percent of total land used for global primary crops.2 (See Figure 2.) Four cash crops continue to account for virtually all GM production: soybean (51 percent), corn (31 percent), cotton (13 percent), and canola (5 percent).3
Twenty-three countries were growing GM crops in 2007, including 17 high-income and upper-middle-income countries and 6 lower-middle-income countries.4 The global leader by far continues to be the United States, which accounts for half of all GM crop area.5 In 2007, GM crops were growing on 57.7 million hectares of U.S. land, an increase of 6 percent over the previous year.6 Beyond the four standard GM crops, farmers there also grew small amounts of GM papaya in Hawaii, although that has been declining over the past few years, and GM alfalfa, which court rulings have suspended until further environmental review.7
The second and third largest countries for GM crop area are Argentina, with 19.1 million hectares in 2007, and Brazil, with 15.0 million hectares.8 Other primary South American growers include Paraguay with 2.6 million hectares and Uruguay with 500,000 hectares.9 The main GM crop grown in this region is soybeans, followed by corn and cotton.10
India is now ranked fifth in total GM crop area, with 6.2 million hectares in 2007 devoted to cotton.11 This includes 2.4 million hectares that were planted between 2006 and 2007, about the same amount of new area as added the previous year. Although China was the first country to grow a commercial genetically modified crop—transgenic tobacco in 1992—added crop area rates there have significantly trailed those of India.12 In 2007 China had 3.8 million hectares in GM crops, including 300,000 new hectares, about one eighth as much as India's new crop area for the same year.13 The main GM crop in China is cotton.14
Two GM crop traits continue to dominate worldwide: herbicide tolerance (63 percent) and insect resistance (18 percent), with a combination of the two traits (called "stacked") accounting for the rest.15 (See Figure 3.) For herbicides, most crops have been altered to tolerate direct application of glyphosate, commonly known by the trade name Roundup.16 While GM crops adopted during the initial years of commercialization were mostly single-trait crops, the recent trend has been for stacked traits that are a combination of herbicide tolerance and insect resistance.17 This trend has been most prevalent over the last four years, as stacked crops grew from 9 percent to 19 percent of traits.18
In the United States, GM crop production actually increased pesticide use by more than 4 percent between 1996 and 2004, despite early signs that GM use might be tied to an overall decline.19 Reports of glyphosate-resistant weeds, or "super weeds," have been on the rise since GM crops started gaining momentum, and these weeds now total 15 species—up from 2 in the 1990s—that cover hundreds of thousands of hectares in the United States alone.20 In response, farmers have been encouraged to diversify herbicide applications or increase glyphosate applications.21
Claims of potential benefits from GM crops include increased yields and nutritional value, although to date no commercially available crops have been modified for these purposes.22 Some studies have shown that GM crops reduce yield performance, including a 5- to 10-percent yield drag in GM soybeans.23 Media reports have linked the widespread collapse of GM cotton crops and reduced yields in India to increased suicides among poor farmers.24 And although nutrition-related traits have been promised over the last decade, they are still at least five years away from market.25
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
