Sustainability impact of GM crops? Nuanced study suggests mostly positive environmental effects

When the researchers delved into the body of literature, it revealed an interesting push and pull between the benefits and impacts of GM crops. For example, studies have shown that GM crops containing the insect-resistant trait required significantly less insecticide to manage agricultural pests….

But other studies reveal that over time, insects also develop resistance, themselves, to the GM crops, which can actually trigger more pesticide application to fields in the long run….

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And then there’s the biodiversity impact. While some studies show that the higher yields of GM crops reduce pressure on wild lands, others show that economic factors may cause the opposite, if the increased profits motivate farmers to expand their production. One study in Brazil found that deforestation intensified in locations where there had been significant yield increases in GM crops….

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In the study’s nuanced portrait of GM, it’s neither a silver bullet, nor a threat. No single effect can be viewed in isolation: each benefit comes with a potential risk. So what should we take from these discoveries?

This is an excerpt. Read the original post here