who benefits from gm crops?

The report contends that GM crops fail to alleviate hunger or poverty, instead increasing pesticide use and corporate control over seeds. It highlights that most GM crops are used for animal feed and biofuels in rich nations, while farmers in producer countries face rising costs and herbicide-resistant weeds. The document advocates for agro-ecological and organic farming as sustainable alternatives.

• GM crops do not increase yield potential and, in some instances, result in lower yields than conventional crops. For example, Roundup Ready soybeans in the US have been shown to produce 5% to 10% fewer bushels per acre than identical non-GM varieties.
• The adoption of GM crops has led to a substantial increase in pesticide use. In the US, glyphosate use on major field crops increased more than 15-fold between 1994 and 2005, partly due to the emergence of glyphosate-resistant weeds.
• Biotechnology companies, specifically Monsanto, have used a 'trait penetration' strategy to increase profits by phasing out affordable seeds in favor of expensive 'stacked' varieties and raising prices for both seeds and herbicides.
• GM crops are not a solution for global hunger because they are primarily grown by large-scale industrial farmers for export markets, animal feed, and biofuels, rather than for direct human consumption by the poor.
• The use of GM crops has contributed to an epidemic of herbicide-resistant weeds globally. In Argentina, glyphosate-resistant Johnsongrass infested over 120,000 hectares of cropland by 2007.
• In the European Union, GM crop cultivation is negligible, representing only 0.21% of agricultural land, and has seen a decline, including a ban on MON810 maize in France.
• The International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) concluded that agro-ecological, low-input farming methods are more effective at fighting hunger than GM crops.
• Insect-resistant (Bt) cotton has failed many small farmers in Asia, particularly in India, where secondary pests not affected by the Bt toxin have led to increased chemical use and farmer debt.

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/who-benefits-09.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/who-benefits-09.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/who-benefits-09.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/who-benefits-09.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }