Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
adoption of herbicide-tolerant soybeans is associated with increased off- farm
household income, suggesting that farmers adopt this technology because the
simplicity and flexibility of the technology permit them to save management
time, allowing them to benefit from additional income from off-farm activities.
Genetically engineered crops also seem to have environmental benefits.
Overall pesticide use is lower for adopters of GE crops, and the adoption of
herbicide-tolerant soybeans may indirectly benefit the environment by
encouraging the adoption of soil conservation practices.
Consumers.
Most surveys and consumer studies indicate consumers have
at least some concerns about foods containing GE ingredients, but these
concerns have not had a large impact on the market for these foods in the
United States. Despite the concerns of U.S. consumers, “GE-free” labels on
foods are not widely used in the United States. Manufacturers have been active
in creating a market for GE-free foods. Between 2000 and 2004,
manufacturers introduced more than 3,500 products that had explicit non- GE
labeling, most of them food products.
In the European Union and some other countries, however, consumer
concerns have spurred a movement away from foods with GE ingredients.
Despite the fact that some European consumers are willing to consume foods
containing GE ingredients, very few of these foods are found on European
grocery shelves.
How Was the Study Conducted?
This chapter examined the three major stakeholders of agricultural
biotechnology: GE seed suppliers and technology providers (biotech firms),
farmers, and consumers. To examine biotech and seed firms, we used infor-
mation from the literature as well as from the database of USDA approvals of
field testing for new GE varieties. To study seed users, we drew on ERS
studies based on USDA farm surveys, and to review the consumer perspective,
we summarized surveys of consumers' attitudes from the literature.
I
NTRODUCTION
Over the past decade, developments in modern biotechnology have
expanded the scope of biological innovations by providing new tools for
