who benefits from gm crops?

The document asserts that GM crops fail to address hunger because food insecurity is driven by poverty rather than production deficits. It claims that most GM crops are used for animal feed and biofuels in wealthy nations, with production concentrated in the US, Argentina, and Brazil. The text argues that GM crops do not increase yields and instead lead to higher pesticide use and the emergence of herbicide-resistant weeds. It highlights the financial gain of companies like Monsanto through a "trait penetration" strategy that raises seed and herbicide prices, while small farmers face escalating costs and rural unemployment.

• Hunger is primarily caused by poverty and a lack of resources for small farmers—such as credit, land, and technical support—rather than a deficiency in food production.
• The majority of GM crops are not intended for the world's poor, but are instead used for biofuels, animal feed, or processed foods in wealthy countries, with 80% of production occurring in the US, Argentina, and Brazil.
• There are no commercial GM crops that provide increased yield, drought-tolerance, or enhanced nutrition; some GM soybeans have even shown a six per cent yield drag.
• GM crops have led to a substantial increase in pesticide use and the rise of herbicide-resistant weeds, such as glyphosate-resistant Johnsongrass in Argentina.
• Biotech companies, specifically Monsanto, profit from a "trait penetration" strategy that phases out affordable seeds in favor of expensive, multi-trait GM seeds and associated herbicides.
• The adoption of herbicide-tolerant GM crops favors large-scale industrial farming and contributes to rural unemployment by reducing the labor needed for weed control.
• The International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) concluded that the most effective way to combat global hunger is through low-input, ecologically sound farming methods rather than GM crops.

APA

Villar, J. L., Freese, B., Holder, H., Chandrasekaran, K., & Rodriguez, L. (2009). who benefits from gm crops? Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/09-foei-gmo-es-lr.pdf

Chicago

Villar, Juan Lopez, Bill Freese, Helen Holder, Kirtana Chandrasekaran, and Lorena Rodriguez. who benefits from gm crops? Friends of the Earth International, 2009. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/09-foei-gmo-es-lr.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Villar |first1=Juan Lopez |last2=Freese |first2=Bill |last3=Holder |first3=Helen |last4=Chandrasekaran |first4=Kirtana |last5=Rodriguez |first5=Lorena |title=who benefits from gm crops? |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=February 2009 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/09-foei-gmo-es-lr.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{villar2009who, author = {Villar, Juan Lopez and Freese, Bill and Holder, Helen and Chandrasekaran, Kirtana and Rodriguez, Lorena}, title = {{who benefits from gm crops?}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2009}, month = feb, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/09-foei-gmo-es-lr.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }