GE and farming

North American Farmers’ Experiences of GM crops

The new report form the UK Soil Association: North American Farmers’ Experiences of GM crops is the first to reveal the serious widespread impacts of GE crops in North America on the food and farming industry, where three- quarters of the world's GE food is grown. It is the most comprehensive review of the situation to be produced from a non-biotechnology industry perspective and is very pertinent to the decisions that New Zealand is making in regard to the use of genetic engineering in our agriculture.

The evidence gathered by the Soil Association demonstrates that GE food crops are far from a success story. In complete contrast to the impression given by the biotechnology industry, it is clear that they have not realised most of the claimed benefits, and have been a practical and economic disaster. Widespread GE contamination has severely disrupted GE-free production including organic farming, and has destroyed trade and undermined the competitiveness of North American agriculture overall. GE crops have also increased the reliance of farmers on herbicides and led to many legal problems.

The KEY FINDINGS of this report are:

GE crops have caused widespread contamination and led to the elimination of the organic sector in some parts of North America
The food system has become subject to costly contamination with incidents such as the Starlink corn contamination of 2000 * Including subsidies, GE crops have cost the US economy at least $12 billion (NZ$25 Billion) from 1999-2001
Farmers have become more dependent on herbicides, using more than the GE companies expected, and new weed problems are emerging
Increased yields from GE crops have generally not materialised, indeed yield reductions have been found
Where small yield increases have occurred, added seed costs to farmers and lower market prices have offset any economic advantage
GM crops have led to a proliferation of legal issues over patents and lost markets
Some farmers are now finding themselves locked into growing GE crops as no non-GE option remains
The economic benefits to farmers have simply not materialised. Take up of the crops is related to heavy marketing, lack of alternative sources of information on crop performance and convenience for the farmer.

GE and Farming