Genetically modified cotton crops produced greater yields, reduced pesticide use in India

By Sarah Yang, Media Relations, UC Berkeley
February 6, 2003

Berkeley - Cotton crops in India that were genetically modified to resist insects produced dramatically increased yields and significantly reduced pesticide use compared with non-bioengineered crops, according to the results of farm trials reported by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Bonn in Germany.

The study, published Friday, Feb. 7, in the journal Science, holds particular promise for small-scale, low-income farmers in developing nations, said the researchers. These farmers, especially those in tropical regions, regularly risk large, pest-related crop losses because they cannot afford to use the pesticides available to larger farms.

"Many critics have questioned whether genetically modified crops would be economically and environmentally beneficial to farmers in developing countries," said David Zilberman, UC Berkeley professor of agricultural and resource economics and co-author of the study. "Our research indicates that transgenic crops should be a viable option. This is the first paper to show such a substantial increase in yield for bioengineered crops." [Read more]

Revisiting the economic cost of food self-sufficiency in China,
Ron Duncan, Lucy Rees and Rod Tyers, August, 2003.

Golden rice: what role could it play in alleviation of vitamin A deficiency?, D. Dawe, R. Robertson, and L. Unnevehr, Food Policy, Vol 27, p. 541-560.

Qaim, M. and D. Zilberman (2003), “Yield Effects of Genetically Modified Crops in Developing Countries,” Science, February 7; 299: 900-902.

Impact of China’s WTO Accession on Rural-Urban Income Inequality, Kym Anderson, Jikun Huang, and Elena Ianchovichina.

Intellectual Property Rights and the World Trade Organization: Retrospect and Prospects, GianCarlo Moschini, October 2003

Beahrs Environmental Leadership Program

The next summer certificate program:"Sustainable Environmental Management" will take place June-July, 2004