Without access to insect resistance technology, inserted into Bt cotton, corn and soybean seeds, Brazilian farmers could lose [approximately $23 billion] over the next decade….
The data come from the study “Economic and socioenvironmental impacts of insect resistant plant technology in Brazil: historical analysis, perspectives and future challenges,”ย released January 28.ย According to the survey, from 2005 to 2018, insect-resistant cotton, maize and soybean seeds generated an additional [$5.9 billion, approximately] in profit for farmers.
[Editor’s note: The study was written in Portuguese.]
The study, conducted by the Biotechnology Information Council (CIB) in partnership with Agroconsult, evaluated insect-resistant cotton, maize and soybean crops and compared them with crops that do not have the protection offered by transgenic [GMO] varieties.
[T]he environment also benefited….From 2005 to 2018, the cultivation of Bt plants cut the volume of insecticides applied in the field by 122 thousand tons, or 50 thousand tons of active ingredient.Share this article
Less machinery was used as well and 144 million liters of fuel were not used, the equivalent of withdrawing 96 million cars from the streets for a year.ย For the next decade, this sustainable contribution could be even greater, as more than 294 million tons of insecticides are expected to be saved.
[Editor’s note: This article was published in Portuguese. This summary was prepared with Google Translate.]
Read full, original article: Without Bt seeds, Brazilian producers may lose R $86 billion in 10 years
