Biotech crops boost global farm income

Biotech crops have boosted global farm income by nearly $28 billion and reduced the use of pesticides that can damage the environment, according to a study of genetically modified crops released on Tuesday.
"The environmental benefits (of biotech crops), the size of them, did surprise me," said Graham Brookes, a director with London-based agriculture consulting firm PG Economics, which conducted the study. "We looked at nine years of data. There are consistent trends here," he added.
Monsanto Co, the world's leading developer of genetic modifications for corn, soybeans, cotton and canola, was the primary financial contributor for the report, PG said.
The study estimated that biotech crops have decreased fuel consumption by 475 million gallons and pesticide spray by 380 million pounds since genetically-altered crops were first brought to market in 1996.
The United States is the world's largest grower of gene-altered crops, growing millions of bushels each year of corn and soybeans, along with millions of bales of cotton.
Biotech crops typically have a special gene inserted to help a growing plant fight destructive insects, or to tolerate a herbicide used to kill a broad variety of weeds.
USDA estimated in its annual acreage report in June that 52 percent of all corn, 79 percent of upland cotton and 87 percent of soybeans planted in 2004-05 were biotech varieties.
Since 1996, the report found, the United States has seen farm income rise $10.7 billion from biotech crops - due largely to increased crop productivity and a lower need for fuels and pesticide sprays.
Argentina has seen farm income jump by $10.1 billion and China by $4.2 billion during the last nine years.
Brookes said the data used in the report was obtained by talking to agricultural experts and reviewing information from previous reports.
The study estimated that almost 8.3 million farmers in 18 countries plant biotech crops.
Still, there is much global resistance to genetically modified crops, especially among European consumers.
The European Union has begun to allow imports of some bio-crops after lifting a five-year moratorium last year, but many European consumers remain largely opposed to the crops with concerns about long-term impacts on human health and the environment.