GM Crops Increase Chemical Usage

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Thursday, 08 January 2004

Eight years of planting genetically modified maize, cotton and soya beans in the US has significantly increased the amount of herbicides and pesticides used, according to a US report which could influence the British government over whether to let GM crops be grown.

The most comprehensive study yet made of chemical use on genetically modified crops draws on US government data collected since commercialisation of the crops began.

It appears to undermine one of the central selling points of GM farming - that the crops benefit the environment because they need fewer man-made agrochemicals.

Charles Benbrook, the author of the report, who is also head of the Northwest Science and Environment Policy Centre, at Sandpoint, Idaho, found that when first introduced most of the crops needed up to 25% fewer chemicals for the first three years, but afterwards significantly more.

Source: wwwsoilassociation.org