Benefits of Transgenic Plants: A Socioeconomic Perspective
Transgenic crops have been used commercially for over ten years. So far, mostly herbicide-tolerant and insect-resistant Bt crops have been employed. Available impact studies show that these crops are beneficial to farmers and consumers and produce large a
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Benefits of Transgenic Plants: A Socioeconomic Perspective Matin Qaim and Arjunan Subramanian
28.1
Introduction
The global area under transgenic crops grew from 1.7 million hectares in 1996 to 125 million hectares in 2008. Today, over 13 million farmers worldwide grow transgenic crops in 25 countries, including 15 developing countries (James 2008). So far, most of the commercial applications involve herbicide tolerance (see Chap. 9) and insect resistance (see Chap. 10), but other transgenic traits are in the research pipeline and might be commercialized in the short- to medium-term future (Halford 2006). The rapid global spread of transgenic crops has been accompanied by an intense public debate. Supporters see great potential in the technology to raise agricultural productivity and reduce seasonal variations in food supply due to biotic and abiotic stresses. Against the background of increasing demand for agricultural products and natural resource scarcities, productivity increases are a necessary precondition for achieving long-term food security. Second-generation transgenic crops, such as crops with higher micronutrient contents, could also help reduce specific nutritional deficiencies among the poor. Furthermore, the technology could contribute to rural income increases, which is particularly relevant for poverty reduction in developing countries. And finally, supporters argue that reductions in the use of chemical pesticides through transgenic crops could alleviate environmental and health problems associated with intensive agricultural production systems. In contrast, biotechnology opponents emphasize the environmental and health risks associated with transgenic crops. Moreover, doubts have been raised with respect to the socioeconomic implications in developing countries. Some consider
M. Qaim Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, Georg-August-University of Goettingen, Platz der Goettinger Sieben 5, 37073 Goettingen, Germany e-mail: [email protected] A. Subramanian University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
F. Kempken and C. Jung (eds.), Genetic Modification of Plants, Biotechnology in Agriculture and Forestry 64, DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-02391-0_28, # Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2010
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high-tech applications per se as inappropriate for smallholder farmers and disruptive for traditional cultivation systems. Also, it is feared that the dominance of multinational companies in biotechnology and the international proliferation of intellectual property rights (IPRs) would lead to the exploitation of poor agricultural producers. In this view, transgenic crops are rather counterproductive for food security and development. While emotional public controversies continue, there is a growing body of literature providing empirical evidence on the impact of transgenic crops in different countries. This chapter reviews recent socioeconomic impact studies, focusing on peer-reviewed academic papers. Claims and studies by narrow interest groups a
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