¿quién se beneficia con los cultivos transgénicos?

The report assesses the first decade of GM crop commercialization, focusing on soy, maize, cotton, and rapeseed. It argues that the promised benefits—such as increased yields and reduced pesticide use—are largely myths. In the US, it notes that GM crops have not increased potential yields and have actually increased overall agrochemical use. In South America, specifically Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, the expansion of GM soy is linked to deforestation and increased pesticide use, with GM varieties showing higher susceptibility to drought than conventional ones. In Asia and Africa, the report highlights the failure of Bt cotton in China, India, and Indonesia, citing the emergence of secondary pests and increased farmer indebtedness. It concludes that the primary beneficiary of this technology is Monsanto, which has consolidated control over the global seed market, while small farmers face increased dependency and economic risk.

• Genetically modified crops have not delivered the promised increases in productivity or reductions in pesticide use. In the United States, independent studies show that GM yields are equivalent to or lower than conventional varieties, and the three main GM crops led to an increase in agrochemical use of 122 million pounds since 1996.
• The commercialization of GM soy in South America has caused significant environmental and social harm. In Argentina, expansion has led to deforestation, soil erosion, and land concentration. In Brazil and Paraguay, GM soy varieties have proven more sensitive to drought than conventional seeds, leading to productivity losses between 60% and 90% in some Paraguayan zones.
• Bt cotton has failed to improve the livelihoods of small-scale farmers in Asia and Africa. In China, the emergence of secondary pests like mirids has forced farmers to increase pesticide applications. In India, the technology has been introduced amidst a crisis of poverty and debt, contributing to a 'wave of suicides among farmers'.
• The GM seed industry is highly concentrated, with Monsanto exercising dominant control. Approximately 90% of all commercialized GM varieties worldwide contain Monsanto's proprietary traits. The company has used aggressive legal tactics to sue farmers for saving seeds and has influenced government policies to expand its market penetration.
• Experimental GM crops have contaminated the global food supply. In August 2006, the USDA revealed that US rice supplies were contaminated with Bayer's experimental LL601 rice, which was subsequently detected in over 15 European countries and in food aid shipments to Ghana and Sierra Leone.
• In Europe, there is strong public and political opposition to GM crops. A 2006 survey indicated that most Europeans perceive GM foods as 'useless, morally unacceptable, and as a risk to society'. Consequently, Spain is the only country with significant GM maize cultivation, and its area has decreased for two consecutive years.
• The report concludes that GM crops have not alleviated hunger or poverty. Most GM crops are used for high-value animal feed for wealthy nations rather than for human consumption. The 'convenience' benefit—reduced labor and flexible herbicide application—primarily benefits large-scale industrial farmers in the US and Argentina, not smallholders.

APA

Villar, J. L., Freese, B., Bebb, A., Bassey, N., Améndola, C., & Ferreira, M. (2007). ¿quién se beneficia con los cultivos transgénicos? Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/gmcrops2007execsummary-esp.pdf

Chicago

Villar, Juan López, Bill Freese, Adrian Bebb, Nnimmo Bassey, Carmen Améndola, and Marcelo Ferreira. ¿quién se beneficia con los cultivos transgénicos? Friends of the Earth International, 2007. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/gmcrops2007execsummary-esp.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Villar |first1=Juan López |last2=Freese |first2=Bill |last3=Bebb |first3=Adrian |last4=Bassey |first4=Nnimmo |last5=Améndola |first5=Carmen |last6=Ferreira |first6=Marcelo |title=¿quién se beneficia con los cultivos transgénicos? |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=January 2007 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/gmcrops2007execsummary-esp.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{villar2007quin, author = {Villar, Juan López and Freese, Bill and Bebb, Adrian and Bassey, Nnimmo and Améndola, Carmen and Ferreira, Marcelo}, title = {{¿quién se beneficia con los cultivos transgénicos?}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2007}, month = jan, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/gmcrops2007execsummary-esp.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }