The Economic and Environmental Impacts of Agbiotech

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After nearly fifteen years of research, bioengineered crops entered the market in the mid-1990s, leading to rapid adoption. In 1996, fewer than 4 million acres were planted with these crops across six countries, but by 2001, this figure soared to over 115 million acres globally. This swift uptake raised critical questions about the factors driving it, as well as the economic and environmental impacts. Key inquiries included how these impacts varied among different producers, innovators, and consumers, and how they were influenced by market structures and government policies. While existing literature has begun to address these questions, a comprehensive assessment that considers the diverse influences of geography, weather, pests, farm structures, and institutions was lacking. This book fills that gap by bringing together leading authors from around the world who have examined the production, environmental, and economic effects of first-generation crop biotechnologies. By synthesizing experiences from various countries, time periods, crops, and traits, this global panel provides a thorough overview of the impacts of these biotechnologies.