Qui tire profit des cultures GM ?

The report argues that GM crops, particularly herbicide-tolerant (HT) and Bt varieties, have failed to deliver promised benefits in yield and poverty reduction. It documents a significant increase in pesticide use and the emergence of herbicide-resistant weeds in the US, Argentina, and Brazil. The document further highlights the monopolization of the seed market by a few firms, specifically Monsanto, and the resulting economic pressure and legal harassment of farmers. Case studies in India, China, and South Africa suggest that yield increases are often due to weather or irrigation rather than GM technology, while small farmers face increased debt and vulnerability.

• The adoption of herbicide-tolerant (HT) GM crops has triggered an epidemic of resistant weeds. In the US, 31 of the 58 documented cases of glyphosate-resistant weeds worldwide were identified between 2001 and 2007, affecting approximately 2.37 million acres across 19 states.
• GM soybean varieties, specifically Roundup Ready, exhibit a 'yield drag,' producing 5% to 10% less than equivalent conventional varieties. This is partly attributed to glyphosate inhibiting the absorption of essential nutrients like manganese.
• The global seed market is highly concentrated, with ten companies controlling 57% of the market in 2006. Monsanto is particularly dominant, with its traits present in approximately 86% of the world's biotechnology products.
• In India, the perceived increase in cotton yields attributed to Bt cotton is largely due to favorable monsoon conditions and irrigation rather than the GM trait. In some regions, such as Punjab, Bt cotton has failed to reduce pesticide costs due to the emergence of secondary pests like mealybugs.
• In Argentina, the spread of glyphosate-resistant Johnson grass (Sorghum halepense) has infested over 120,000 hectares of prime agricultural land, necessitating the use of more toxic herbicides and increasing production costs by an estimated 160 to 950 million dollars annually.
• The expansion of GM soybean monocultures in Paraguay is linked to increased rural poverty and land concentration, where 2% of landowners own more than 70% of the land.
• In South Africa, Bt cotton has not benefited small-scale farmers; the number of small cotton growers in KwaZulu-Natal dropped from 3,229 in 2001-02 to 853 in 2006-07.
• Monsanto has used patent law to aggressively pursue North American farmers who save seeds, collecting between 85 and 160 million dollars through confidential settlements.
• In the European Union, GM crops have seen very limited adoption, with only Monsanto's MON810 maize planted commercially, covering less than 2% of the total maize area in the EU.

APA

Villar, J. L., Freese, B., Stocks, N., Chandrasekaran, K., Oxborrow, C., & Holder, H. (2008). Qui tire profit des cultures GM ? Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Who-Benefits-FULL-VERSION-FRENCH.pdf

Chicago

Villar, Juan López, Bill Freese, Nicky Stocks, Kirtana Chandrasekaran, Clare Oxborrow, and Helen Holder. Qui tire profit des cultures GM ? Friends of the Earth International, 2008. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Who-Benefits-FULL-VERSION-FRENCH.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Villar |first1=Juan López |last2=Freese |first2=Bill |last3=Stocks |first3=Nicky |last4=Chandrasekaran |first4=Kirtana |last5=Oxborrow |first5=Clare |last6=Holder |first6=Helen |title=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/Who-Benefits-FULL-VERSION-FRENCH.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{villar2008qui, author = {Villar, Juan López and Freese, Bill and Stocks, Nicky and Chandrasekaran, Kirtana and Oxborrow, Clare and Holder, Helen}, title = {{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/Who-Benefits-FULL-VERSION-FRENCH.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }