USDA reports on the first decade of genetically engineered crops

More biotech resources USDA / ERS — Adoption of genetically engineer crops in the United States (includes graph showing steady increase in use for soybeans, cotton, Bt cotton, Bt corn, Hr corn and links to related data) Cornell University — Informing the Dialogue about Agricultural Biotechnology EPA — Introduction to Biotechnology Regulation for Pesticides From the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology: Genetically Modified Crops in the United States Factsheet and Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology Web site. USDA—U.S. Regulatory Agencies Unified Biotechnology Website U.S. Dept of State - - The Promise of Biotechnology CAST — Council for Agricultural Science and Technology

What is the issue?

Ten years after the first generation of genetically engineered (GE) varieties of major crops became commercially available, adoption of these varieties by U.S. farmers has become widespread. U.S. consumers eat many products derived from these crops -- including some cornmeal, oils, sugars, and other food products -- largely unaware of their GE content. Despite the rapid increase in the adoption of GE corn, soybean, and cotton varieties by U.S. farmers, questions remain regarding the impact of agricultural biotechnology. These issues range from the economic and environmental impacts to consumer acceptance.

How was the study conducted?

The report examined the three major stakeholders of agricultural biotechnology: GE seed suppliers and technology providers (biotech firms), farmers, and consumers. To examine biotech and seed firms, information was used from the literature as well as from the database of USDA approvals of field testing for new GE varieties. To study seed users, ERS drew on its studies based on USDA farm surveys, and to review the consumer perspective, it summarized surveys of consumers attitudes from the literature.

What did the study find?

The study examined the three major stakeholders in agricultural biotechnology: seed suppliers and technology providers, farmers, and consumers.

Seed suppliers / technology providers. Strengthening of intellectual property rights protection in the 1970s and 1980s increased returns to research and offered greater incentives for private companies to invest in seed development and crop biotechnology. Since 1987, seed producers have submitted nearly 11,600 applications to USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service for field testing of GE varieties. More than 10,700 (92%) have been approved. Approvals peaked in 2002 with 1,190. Most approved applications involved major crops, with nearly 5,000 for corn alone, followed by soybeans, potatoes, and cotton. More than 6,600 of the approved applications included GE varieties with herbicide tolerance or insect resistance. Significant numbers of applications were approved for varieties with improved product quality, viral resistance, and enhanced agronomic properties such as drought resistance and fungal resistance.

Farmers. Adoption of genetically engineer soybeans, corn, and cotton by U.S. farmers has increased most years since these varieties became commercially available in 1996. By 2005, herbicide-tolerant soybeans accounted for 87%of total U.S. soybean acreage, while herbicide-tolerant cotton accounted for about 60% of total cotton acreage. Adoption of insect-resistant crops is concentrated in areas with high levels of pest infestation and varies across States. Insect-resistant cotton was planted on 52% of cotton acreage in 2005 — ranging from 13% in California to 85% in Louisiana. Insect-resistant corn accounted for 35%of the total acreage in 2005 following the introduction of a new variety to control the corn rootworm.

The economic impact of GE crops on producers varies by crop and technology. Herbicide-tolerant cotton and corn were associated with increased returns, as were insect-resistant cotton and corn when pest infestations were more prevalent. Despite the rapid adoption of herbicide-tolerant soybeans, there was little impact on net farm returns in 1997 and 1998. However, the adoption of herbicide-tolerant soybeans is associated with increased off-farm household income, suggesting that farmers adopt this technology because the simplicity and flexibility of the technology permit them to save management time, allowing them to benefit from additional income from off-farm activities. Genetically engineered crops also seem to have environmental benefits. Overall pesticide use is lower for adopters of genetically engineered crops, and the adoption of herbicide-tolerant soybeans may indirectly benefit the environment by encouraging the adoption of soil conservation practices.

Consumers. Most surveys and consumer studies indicate consumers have at least some concerns about foods containing GE ingredients, but these concerns have not had a large impact on the market for these foods in the United States. Despite the concerns of U.S. consumers, “GE-free” labels on foods are not widely used in the United States. Manufacturers have been active in creating a market for GE-free foods. Between 2000 and 2004, manufacturers introduced more than 3,500 products that had explicit non-GE labeling, most of them food products. In the European Union and some other countries, however, consumer concerns have spurred a movement away from foods with GE ingredients. Despite the fact that some European consumers are willing to consume foods containing GE ingredients, very few of these foods are found on European grocery shelves.