The Impacts of Adoption of Genetically Engineered Crops on Yields,Pesticide Use and Economic Returns in the USA Jorge Fernandez-Cornejo Economic Research Service, U.S.Department of Agriculture Presented at the Farm Foundation Conference on Biotechnology Washington,DC,January 16,2008 ●● ●●● ●●●
Presented at the Farm Foundation Conference on Biotechnology Washington, DC, January 16, 2008 Jorge Fernandez-Cornejo Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture The Impacts of Adoption of Genetically Engineered Crops on Yields, Pesticide Use and Economic Returns in the US A
Objective To summarize the experience of the first 12 years of adoption of genetically engineered (GE)crops by U.S.farmers. ●● ●●● ●●●
To summarize the experience of the first 12 years of adoption of genetically engineered (GE) crops by U.S. farmers. Objective
Insect Resistant(Bt)Crops Bt crops carry the gene from the soil bacterium Bacilus Thuringiensis. Crops containing the Bt gene are able to produce proteins that are toxic when ingested by certain insects: -Bt corn protects against the European corn borer(and/or the corn rootworm). -Bt cotton protects against the tobacco budworm,the bollworm, and the pink bollworm. ●●习 ●●● ●●●
Insect Resistant (Bt) Crops ♦ Bt crops carry the gene from the soil bacterium Bacilus Thuringiensis. ♦ Crops containing the Bt gene are able to produce proteins that are toxic when ingested by certain insects: - Bt corn protects against the European corn borer (and/or the corn rootworm). - Bt cotton protects against the tobacco budworm, the bollworm, and the pink bollworm
Herbicide Tolerant (HT)Crops HT crops contain traits that allow them to survive certain herbicides that previously would have destroyed the crop along with the targeted weeds,allowing farmers to use more effective herbicides. ●● ●●● ●●●
♦ HT crops contain traits that allow them to survive certain herbicides that previously would have destroyed the crop along with the targeted weeds, allowing farmers to use more effective herbicides. Herbicide Tolerant (HT) Crops
Adoption of genetically engineered crops grows steadily in the U.S. -Ht Soybeans -Ht Cotton -Bt Cotton -Bt Corn -Ht Corn Percent of acres 100 90 60 000 199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007 1.Data for each crop category include varieties with both HT and Bt(stacked)traits. 2.Bt to control corn rootworm introduced commercially in 2003 ●● Source:USDA/NASS data ●●● ●●●
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Ht Soybeans Ht Cotton Bt Cotton Bt Corn Ht Corn Percent of acres 1. Data for each crop category include varieties with both HT and Bt (stacked) traits. 2. Bt to control corn rootworm introduced commercially in 2003. Source: USDA/NASS data Adoption of genetically engineered crops grows steadily in the U.S