April 16, 2010

Source: Crop Biotech Update

A summary of 49 peer-reviewed publications of farmer surveys shows that genetically modified crops have benefitted farmers especially in terms of increased yields. This was revealed in an article published in Nature Biotechnology on Peer-reviewed surveys indicate positive impact of commercialized GM crops by Janet Carpenter from Boylston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. Evidence from the surveys explain the widespread popularity of the technology, says Carpenter.

The studies compared yields and other indicators of economic performance for adopters and non-adopters of currently commercialized GM crops. Farmers in developing countries are achieving greater yield increases than farmers in developed countries. The first wave of GM crops to be commercialized had traits that reduced or improved pest management thus yield increases were not necessarily due to yield potential but to better field management.

Carpenter said that interest in the future will be the assessment of the impacts of stacked traits and farmers' experiences with GM crop technologies such as those being developed in cassava, cowpea, and rice, as those reach the commercialization stage.

Subscribers can access the article at http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/v28/n4/index.html#cr
 

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Published: April 16, 2010