Biotech Updates

Report Tackles Global Impact of Biotech Crops

June 13, 2008

A comprehensive study on the global impact of biotech crops by PG Economics says that "biotech crop commercialization has resulted in significant global economic and environmental benefits and is making important contributions to global security". PG Economics Limited, based in the United Kingdom, is a specialist provider of advisory and consultancy services to agriculture and other natural resource-based industries.  

"“Since 1996, biotech crop adoption has contributed to reducing the release of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, decreased pesticide spraying and significantly boosted farmers’ incomes,” said Graham Brookes, director of PG Economics and co-author of the report. “The technology has also made important contributions to increasing the yields of many farmers, raising global production and trading volumes of key crops. World price levels of crops like corn and soybeans would also probably be higher than the current (record high) levels if this technology had not been widely adopted by farmers. These economic and environmental gains have also been greatest in developing countries”.

The full report can be downloaded from http://www.pgeconomics.co.uk.