Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
another organism and can create these new plant and animal
varieties at a faster rate—and with much more precision. Some
say these technologies are our best hope for feeding a growing
population. Others say the technologies are used recklessly
because of corporate influence in regulation. This disagree-
ment is the GMO controversy.
The controversy is important because GM crops have come
to dominate the United States and are spreading across the
world. As figure 5.1 shows, three major crops are planted
almost entirely in genetically modified varieties. For those
who believe GMOs to be advantageous this is a remarkable
achievement in agriculture. For those who eat foods derived
from animals but are fearful of GMOs the graph is alarming,
as virtually all livestock consume corn and soybeans.
100%
93%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
85%
82%
75%
76%
15%
7%
3%
2%
1%
HT Soybeans
HT Cotton
HT Corn
Bt Cotton
Bt Corn
1996
2013
Figure 5.1 Adoption of Genetically Modified Crops in the United States
Note: HT
stands for “herbicide tolerant,” which means the GM crop is resistant to one or
more herbicides.
Bt
signifies a genetically modified crop, engineered to produce its own
pesticide.
Source
: Economic Research Service, Recent Trends in GE Adoption (webpage), US Department
of Agriculture, accessed August 8, 2013, at
http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/
