In the US, the proportion of GM soybean has increased steadily from zero in 1995 to about 85% in 2004; that of cotton to 76%. GM maize (protected against attack from an insect, the European corn borer) has risen to a plateau of about 45% for three reasons: (a) not all areas of maize cultivation suffer from high levels of insect pressure; (b) the early use of insect-resistant maize had such a marked effect on reducing the insect populations that many farmers did not see the need to buy the more expensive insect-resistant seed unless the insects came back, which so far they have not done; (c) there has been concern about the sales of GM maize in Europe, a major market for US corn.

GM products do not have to be labelled in the US because their regulatory process considers that they are no different from the foods from which they originated. US and Canadian consumers have been eating them in increasing amounts for ten years. Most people in the USA and Canada seem indifferent, uninterested and unconcerned.

Environmental benefits have taken the form mainly of massive reductions in insecticide usage, especially for controlling bollworm infestation in cotton.

Estimates in 2001 in the US for the distribution of monetary benefits derived from GM-soybean show $32 million to the seed companies, $42 million to consumers, $74 million to patent holders, $796 million to farmers and $117 million to others (presumably distributors, processors, retailers, etc.). GM-soybean was developed for its agronomic benefits, not primarily as a consumer product.

Sources:

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J. Fernandez-Cornejo and W.D. McBride. (2002). Adoption of Bioengineered Crops. ERS Agricultural Economic Report No. AER810 (http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/aer810/aer810.pdf)

Huang et al. (2002). Plant Biotechnology in China, Science, 295, 674-676

M.C. Marra, , P.G. Pardey and J.M. Alston. (2002). The Payoffs to Agricultural Biotechnology: an Assessment of the Evidence. International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington D.C. (http://www.ifpri.cgiar.org/checknames.cfm/eptdp87.pdf?name=eptdp87.pdf&direc=d:\webs\ifpri\divs\eptd\dp\papers)

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ISAAA Briefs 32-2004: Preview: Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: 2004 (http://www.isaaa.org)

L.P. Gianessi, C.S. Silvers, S Sankula and J. Carpenter.(2002). Plant Biotechnology: Current and Potential Impact for Improving Pest Management in US Agriculture. An Analysis of 40 Case Studies. National Center for Food and Agricultural Policy, Washington DC. (http://www.ncfap.org/40CaseStudies.htm)

P.G. Pardee and N.M. Beintema. (2001). Slow Magic: Agricultural R&D a Century after Mendel. International Food Policy Research Institute, http://www.ifpri.org/pubs/fps/fps36.pdf

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Genetically Modified Crops in the United States (August 2004). Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology - Factsheet. (http://pewagbiotech.org/resources/factsheets/display.php3?FactsheetID=2)

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