Our Perspective
Biotech crops contribute to sustainability, according to new report
By C. Waggoner, sustainability writer
Posted about 1 year ago
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Around the world, public and private sector thought leaders are working to find sustainable solutions to complex issues such as food security, climate change and limited natural resources. According to a new report, a key part of the solution to these issues may be found in the same place: biotech crops.
The report, "Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: 2010," was published by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA), a not-for-profit organization that shares the benefits of crop biotechnology with farmers in developing countries.
Outlined in the report are five broad contributions that biotech crops have made to sustainable agriculture:
1. Greater food security
Biotech crops increase per-acre productivity, while simultaneously reducing the cost of production. The ISAAA report estimates that farmers worldwide have realized approximately $65 billion in economic gains over the 15-year period of biotech crop implementation (1996-2009). About 44% of those gains came from reducing the need for cost-intensive tillage and pesticides. The remaining 56% came in the form of crop yield gains.
2. More biodiversity
By increasing per-acre yields, biotech crops can help prevent deforestation, thereby preserving crucial biodiversity. According to the report, about 1.5 billion hectares (3.7 billion acres) are used for agricultural purposes. Without biotech crops, we would need an additional 75 million hectares (185 million acres) to produce the same amount of key crops. Inevitably, the report suggests, some of this additional land would have come from rain forests and other biologically rich areas.
3. Reduced poverty and hunger
According to the report, more than 50% of the world's poorest people are small farmers," while an additional 20% are the "rural landless" who depend upon agriculture for their livelihood. By raising the income levels of small farmers through greater yields, biotech crops such as maize and cotton are helping to alleviate poverty and hunger for roughly 70% of the world's population. With the introduction of biotech rice, another 250 million families could benefit.
4. A smaller environmental footprint
It has been estimated that agriculture uses approximately 70% of the earth's current fresh water supply-a clearly unsustainable percentage, as the global population is projected to exceed 9 billion in just a few decades. Along with soil conservation and reductions in pesticides, biotech seeds can also help by using less water.
5. Fewer greenhouse gas emissions
Biotech seeds have allowed farmers to practice conservation tillage and cut back on the fossil-fuel-intensive practice of spraying pesticides and herbicides on their fields. According to the report, the result has been a significant reduction in CO2 emissions. In fact, for 2009 alone, the total carbon sequestration attributable to biotech farming is 16.3 kg of CO2-equivalent to removing 7.8 million cars from the road.
The ISAAA cites "cumbersome" regulatory systems as the main barrier to biotech implementation in developing countries. The report calls for "regulatory systems that are responsible, rigorous and yet not onerous," so that they can be developed and maintained, even in countries with limited financial resources.
Learn more about ISAAA's findings and recommendations:
Comments
Susan Case Says:
November 08, 2011 at 11:09 AM
That’s all fine and great but it’s causing allergies and health problems! Work harder and find a better way! I lived on a small farm as a kid and have never considered myself nor any of my family members poor. Where I came from farming on small farms was considered a “side business” that made living expensive easier. There are tons of unused land out there. Especially down south. Cheap too!!! I current live in MA and the land here is rediculous, but not in the southern and mid-western states. As far as the water problem, I’ve read we have the technology to de-salinate water. If pipelines for gas can be layed all around the USA, then why can’t water lines be done the same way to provide water crops. We’re all being told that the ocean water levels are rising from the glaciers melting. This could help solve two problems! Just wondering!