Elizabeth Barrette (ysabetwordsmith) wrote,
Elizabeth Barrette
ysabetwordsmith
  • Mood: busy

GM Crops LOWER Yields

Monsanto and other companies have long said that genetically engineered crops have higher yields. This is not an unreasonable claim; it's the sort of thing that could be accomplished by gengineering. But that's not what they've aimed for, so it's not what they got. According to this article, the yields are lower for GM crops than normal crops:

Exposed: The Great GM Crops Myth by Geoffrey Lean
Genetic modification actually cuts the productivity of crops, an authoritative new study shows, undermining repeated claims that a switch to the controversial technology is needed to solve the growing world food crisis.    The study - carried out over the past three years at the University of Kansas in the US grain belt - has found that GM soya produces about 10 per cent less food than its conventional equivalent, contradicting assertions by advocates of the technology that it increases yields.
Tags: food, science
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  • 4 comments
ieros

ieros

April 25 2008, 20:19:34 UTC 13 years ago

Ya most GM is kind of sucky though for some crops it is worth while like the carotene containing rice or to increases disease resistance like rainbow papaya and BT corn.
christinaathena

christinaathena

April 26 2008, 01:56:24 UTC 13 years ago

But that's not what they've aimed for, so it's not what they got.

Then what did they aim for?
ysabetwordsmith

ysabetwordsmith

April 26 2008, 02:06:36 UTC 13 years ago

Depends on the strain. One of the most popular is Monsanto's "Roundup Ready," which was designed to survive massive applications of Monsanto's Roundup herbicide. (A side effect is the development of even tougher weeds. Duh.) RR was a strain in the study, with lower yields than traditional crops.
natasiakith

natasiakith

April 26 2008, 02:33:15 UTC 13 years ago

That's-- almost funny.

Almost