Impacts of Genetically Engineered Crops on Pesticide Use

The Organic Center has just published the report "Impacts of Genetically Engineered Crops on Pesticide Use: The First Thirteen Years" , which was written by Charles Benbrook, Ph.D. and Chief Scientist at The Organic Center. The full report is 69 pages, and is accessible here. An executive summary is also available, as well as supplemental tables.

Genetically-engineered corn, soybeans, and cotton now account for the majority of acres (one acre is about 4000 square meters) planted to these three crops. A model was developed that utilizes official U.S. Department of Agriculture pesticide use data to estimate the differences in the average pounds of pesticides applied on GE crop acres, compared to acres planted to conventional, non-GE varieties. The basic finding is that compared to pesticide use in the absence of GE crops, farmers applied 318 million more pounds of pesticides (about 144 million kilos) over the last 13 years as a result of planting GE seeds.
 
This difference represents an average increase of about 0.25 pound for each acre planted to a GE trait. GE crops are pushing pesticide use upward at a rapidly accelerating pace. In 2008, GE crop acres required over 26 % more pounds of pesticides per acre than acres planted to conventional varieties. The report projects that this trend will continue as a result of the rapid spread of glyphosate-resistant weeds.

The Organic Center