Les Amis de la Terre qui tire profit des cultures gm ?

This executive summary by Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) argues that genetically modified (GM) crops provide no ecological, social, or economic benefits. The document focuses on the increased use of pesticides associated with herbicide-tolerant (HT) varieties, the lack of impact on global hunger and poverty, and the stagnation or decline of crop yields compared to conventional farming.

• GM crop production is highly concentrated in a few industrialized, export-oriented countries. Over 90% of GM planted areas are located in the United States, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, with the US alone producing more than 50% of the global total.
• Commercial GM crops are limited in their traits, with nearly 100% possessing only herbicide tolerance, insect resistance, or both. The document notes that no GM products have been introduced that offer improved yields, higher nutritional value, drought resistance, or salt tolerance.
• Herbicide-tolerant (HT) GM crops act as 'pesticide promoters' by encouraging the development of resistant weeds, leading to increased chemical use. In the US, glyphosate use in soy plantations rose by 28% in 2006, and the volume applied per acre of soy increased by over 150% between 1994 and 2006.
• GM crops have not improved food security for the poor, as they are primarily used for animal feed, biofuels, and processed foods for wealthy nations. In South Africa's Makhatini Flats, the number of small cotton farmers dropped from 3,229 in 2001-02 to 853 in 2006-07 after adopting Bt cotton.
• The concentration of the seed industry among a few multinationals like Monsanto, DuPont-Pioneer, Syngenta, and Bayer has led to higher seed prices and reduced choices for farmers. In the US, patenting seeds has made the traditional practice of saving seeds for replanting practically illegal for GM varieties.
• There is no evidence that GM technology increases crop yields; in some cases, it causes a 'yield lag.' Roundup Ready soy yields are on average 5% to 10% lower than conventional varieties because glyphosate hinders the absorption of essential nutrients like manganese.
• The document disputes claims that Bt cotton increases yields, stating that improvements in countries like China are often due to weather, irrigation, or conventional seeds. In the US, Argentina, and Colombia, average cotton yields remained unchanged after the adoption of Bt cotton.

APA

Villar, J. L., & Freese, B. (2008). Les Amis de la Terre qui tire profit des cultures gm ? Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/gmcrops2008execsummary.pdf

Chicago

Villar, Juan López, and Bill Freese. Les Amis de la Terre qui tire profit des cultures gm ? Friends of the Earth International, 2008. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/gmcrops2008execsummary.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Villar |first1=Juan López |last2=Freese |first2=Bill |title=Les Amis de la Terre qui tire profit des cultures gm ? |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=January 2008 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/gmcrops2008execsummary.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{villar2008les, author = {Villar, Juan López and Freese, Bill}, title = {{Les Amis de la Terre qui tire profit des cultures gm ?}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2008}, month = jan, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/gmcrops2008execsummary.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }