Economic and Environmental Impacts of First Generation Genetically Modifi ed Crops

This executive summary by Dr. Charles Benbrook for the International Institute for Sustainable Development analyzes the economic and environmental impacts of first-generation genetically modified (GM) crops, specifically Roundup Ready (RR) soy, Bt cotton, and Bt corn, with a focus on lessons from the United States and Argentina.

• Adoption rates of herbicide-tolerant soybeans were significantly higher in Argentina than in the United States by 2002, reaching over 95 per cent in Argentina compared to around 75 per cent in the U.S.
• Contrary to biotechnology industry claims, RR soybeans require more herbicides by volume than conventional soybeans. In the U.S., they require 5–10 per cent more active ingredient per acre, while in Argentina, use is more than double that of conventional varieties.
• There is consistent evidence in the U.S. that most RR soybean cultivars experience a "yield drag," producing 5–10 per cent fewer bushels per hectare/acre than identical conventional varieties grown under similar conditions.
• The use of RR technology has provided environmental benefits by enabling no-till systems that dramatically reduce soil erosion, particularly on highly erodible land where erosion rates can drop from 50 or more tons per acre to less than 10 tons.
• High selection pressure from glyphosate use, which is significantly higher in Argentina (2.76 kg/ha in 2000) than in the U.S. (about 1 kg/ha), risks causing weed shifts and the emergence of resistant weeds.
• Research indicates that glyphosate use in RR crops is linked to increased levels of Fusarium, a fungus causing significant crop and livestock diseases, including wheat scab which costs U.S. farmers approximately $1 billion annually.
• Glyphosate application in RR soybean systems has been shown to impair root development, nodulation, and nitrogen fixation, with yields potentially falling up to 25 per cent in treated plots compared to conventional controls.

APA

Benbrook, D. C. (2003). Economic and Environmental Impacts of First Generation Genetically Modifi ed Crops. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/tkn_firstgen_gmo_us_sum.pdf

Chicago

Benbrook, Dr. Charles. Economic and Environmental Impacts of First Generation Genetically Modifi ed Crops. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2003. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/tkn_firstgen_gmo_us_sum.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Benbrook |first1=Dr. Charles |title=Economic and Environmental Impacts of First Generation Genetically Modifi ed Crops |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=June 2003 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/tkn_firstgen_gmo_us_sum.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{benbrook2003economic, author = {Benbrook, Dr. Charles}, title = {{Economic and Environmental Impacts of First Generation Genetically Modifi ed Crops}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2003}, month = jun, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/tkn_firstgen_gmo_us_sum.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }