This year marks the 20th year that Brazil has been planting GM crops. Throughout this period, what stands out are the benefits for farmers resulting from planting GM soybeans, corn and cotton.
Consequently, the productivity and yield of the GM crops have been, on average, higher than conventional crops. The data is part of a study, “20 Years of GMOs in Brazil: Environmental, Economic and Social Impacts,” which was conducted by Agroconsult with support from the Council for Information on Biotechnology (CIB Brazil).
Throughout the period being analyzed, the profit obtained per hectare from GM soybeans was up to 26 percent higher than the conventional variety. For corn, the performance differential reached 64 percent in the summer harvest and 152 percent in the winter harvest. In the case of cotton, GM seeds have a margin of 12 percent higher than non-modified ones.
“The positive effect of this technology on agriculture and on the quality of life, level of education and profit for the population is unquestionable,” says Adriana Brondani, CIB executive director.
Source: CIB Brazil.
