Environmental impacts of genetically modified (GM) crop use 1996-2013: Impacts on pesticide use and carbon emissions

GM Crops & Food
Graham Brookes, Peter Barfoot

Abstract

This paper updates previous assessments of how crop biotechnology has changed the environmental impact of global agriculture. It focuses on the environmental impacts associated with changes in pesticide use and greenhouse gas emissions arising from the use of GM crops since their first widespread commercial use in the mid 1990s. The adoption of GM insect resistant and herbicide tolerant technology has reduced pesticide spraying by 553 million kg (-8.6%) and, as a result, decreased the environmental impact associated with herbicide and insecticide use on these crops (as measured by the indicator the Environmental Impact Quotient (EIQ)) by 19.1%. The technology has also facilitated important cuts in fuel use and tillage changes, resulting in a significant reduction in the release of greenhouse gas emissions from the GM cropping area. In 2013, this was equivalent to removing 12.4 million cars from the roads.

References

Aug 17, 2002·The Plant Journal : for Cell and Molecular Biology·Carl E PrayScott Rozelle
Dec 14, 2004·Pest Management Science·Theresa A BrimnerGerald R Stephenson
Aug 17, 2011·GM Crops·Graham Brookes, Peter Barfoot
Mar 21, 2012·GM Crops & Food·Vivian MosesC S Prakash
Mar 19, 2014·GM Crops & Food·Peter Barfoot, Graham Brookes
Nov 5, 2014·PloS One·Wilhelm Klümper, Matin Qaim

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Citations

Oct 22, 2016·New Biotechnology·Miguel A Sánchez, Gabriel León
Jan 24, 2017·Plant Biotechnology Journal·Cong DangGongyin Ye
Sep 22, 2016·Science Advances·Edward D PerryGianCarlo Moschini
May 26, 2017·Plant Biotechnology Journal·Jean-Michel HilyOlivier Lemaire
Jan 14, 2020·Genetics and Molecular Biology·Marc Van Montagu
Apr 13, 2020·Environmental Science and Pollution Research International·Yue YinWangpeng Shi
Dec 12, 2018·GM Crops & Food·Henry I Miller, Gregory Conko
Feb 27, 2017·Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology·Gholamreza Salehi JouzaniReza Sharafi
Feb 1, 2018·Functional Plant Biology : FPB·Jennifer A Thomson

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