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GM Crops and Pesticide Use

GENETICALLY MODIFIED TECHNOLOGY HAS BEEN TOUTED AS THE BEST WAY TO BOOST CROP YIELDS WITHOUT USING PESTICIDES. BUT SOME NEW RESULTS CHALLENGE THIS ASSUMPTION. LEARN MORE ON TODAY’S ENVIRONMINUTE.

GENETICALLY MODIFIED COTTON SECRETES A TOXIN THAT STOPS THE GROWTH OF BOLLWORM, A PEST THAT DAMAGES CROPS. SO WHEN RESEARCHERS POLLED CHINESE FARMERS WHO HAD SWITCHED TO GROWING GENETICALLY MODIFIED COTTON, THEY WERE SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT, WHILE THE FARMERS’ PESTICIDE USE INITIALLY DROPPED BY SEVENTY PERCENT, IT WAS BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL LEVEL ONLY SEVEN YEARS LATER.

WHY THE INCREASE? BECAUSE OTHER PESTS TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE LOW PESTICIDE LEVELS. SO WHILE THE FARMERS NO LONGER SPRAYED FOR BOLLWORM, THEY SPENT MORE ON CHEMICALS DESIGNED TO KILL OTHER INSECTS. THIS WAS NOT ONLY COSTLY - IT WAS BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE FARMERS’ HEALTH, TOO.

SO MUCH FOR THE CLAIM THAT GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS REDUCE PESTICIDE USE! 

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