QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: WHO BENEFITS FROM GM CROPS?

This fact sheet by Friends of the Earth International argues that genetically modified (GM) crops have not contributed to reducing hunger or poverty and are unsuitable for small-scale farmers due to high seed costs and patent restrictions. The document asserts that GM crops do not increase yields, often increase pesticide use, and primarily benefit large-scale industrial farmers in a few countries through 'convenience' rather than productivity.

• There is no evidence that GM crops have contributed to the Millennium Development Goals of halving hunger and poverty by 2015. Most GM crops in developing countries, specifically soya and cotton, are used for feed and fibre exports to wealthy nations rather than for food.
• GM crops are deemed unsuitable for poor, small-scale farmers because the industry's reliance on patents makes seeds expensive and prevents farmers from saving seeds for the next year. In the US, Monsanto has used these patents to claim tens of millions of dollars from farmers who saved seeds.
• GM crops have not increased yields. Roundup Ready soya is reported to have a 'yield drag' with yields 5-10% lower than conventional soya. In India, Bt cotton may lose insecticidal properties late in the longer growing season, and 25% of cotton bolls in preferred hybrid varieties may not express the Bt insecticide.
• The use of GM crops has led to increased pesticide application. In the US, glyphosate use on soybeans, maize, and cotton increased more than 15-fold from 1994 to 2005, and 2,4-D use on soybeans more than doubled between 2002 and 2006. Brazil reported an 80% increase in glyphosate use from 2000 to 2005.
• In South America, GM soya expansion is linked to reduced food security, deforestation, and land concentration. In Paraguay, 2% of landowners control 70% of the land, and extreme rural poverty has increased, with up to 40% of people living below the poverty line.
• In India, the adoption of Bt cotton is associated with an agrarian crisis and farmer debt. There were 942 documented farmer suicides in 2007 related to crippling debt, which studies indicate is exacerbated by expensive GM seeds.
• The global GM crop market is highly concentrated. Over 90% of GM crop area is in five countries: the US, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. Over 95% of the acreage consists of just four crops: soya, maize, cotton, and canola, with approximately 80% of all GM crops worldwide being Monsanto's 'Roundup Ready' herbicide-tolerant varieties.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (2008). QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: WHO BENEFITS FROM GM CROPS? https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/gmcrops2008Q-A.pdf

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: WHO BENEFITS FROM GM CROPS? 2008. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/gmcrops2008Q-A.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: WHO BENEFITS FROM GM CROPS? |date=February 2008 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/gmcrops2008Q-A.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{friendsoftheearthinternational2008questions, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: WHO BENEFITS FROM GM CROPS?}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2008}, month = feb, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/gmcrops2008Q-A.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }