In the April 2010 edition of Nature Biotechnology magazine, Janet E. Carpenter writes that the accumulated evidence from farmer surveys helps to explain the widespread and growing popularity of biotech crops. Carpenter, who has worked on issues related to agricultural biotechnology for more than 10 years, provides analysis of 49 peer-reviewed publications reporting on farmer surveys that compare yields and other indicators of economic performance for adopters and non-adopters of currently commercialized biotech crops.

Carpenter's research analysis supports the claim that biotech crops are providing farmers with increased yields. Citing evidence that 74% of yield comparisons of biotech and conventional crops showed positive results for adopters of biotech crops versus non-adopters, she also noted the impact the technology is having on farmers in developing countries.

"The results for yields indicate that farmers in developing countries are achieving greater yield increases than farmers in developed countries," Carpenter said. "The average increases for developing countries range from 16% for insect-resistant corn to 30% for insect-resistant cotton."

The article also provides evidence of the overall economic benefit of biotech crops. "Looking across all measures of economic performance, the results are overwhelmingly positive," Carpenter wrote. "Of the 98 results in our survey of the peer-reviewed literature that compare the economic performance of GM crops to their conventional counterparts, 71 indicate a positive economic impact, 11 neutral and 16 negative."

According to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA), global adoption of plant biotechnology increased by 7% in 2009. ISAAA data showed 14 million farmers in 25 countries grew biotech crops, and more than 90% of them were small farmers in developing countries.

Other research conclusions in the Nature Biotechnology article include:

• Biotech crops are a cost efficient means of producing higher yields. In most cases reviewed, increased seed costs (including technology fees) were offset by reductions in pesticide costs.
• Farmers are looking to biotech crops to save time, which saves them money. A survey of U.S. corn farmers found that the handling and labor time savings, human and environmental safety, reduced yield risk, equipment cost savings and better standability of insect-resistant corn was valued at $10.32 per hectare.
• Biotech crops help conserve soil resources by facilitating the adoption of conservation tillage practices.

Source: World-Grain.com