Biotechnology get a lot of press, both good and bad. That’s why it’s nice to see research that focuses on realities. Thanks to a heads up from Monsanto, I found out about a new report just out today called, “GM crops: the global socio-economic and environmental impact – the first nine years 1996-2004.” Many of you are involved in marketing biotech products so you might want to see the report. There’s a lot of information in it.

This report was presented at the CORDIA Biotech Convention in London by PG Economics. Here’s a couple of highlights:

“Since 1996, adoption of biotech crops has contributed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and decreased pesticide spraying,” said Graham Brookes, director of PG Economics, and one of the authors who conducted the study. “While greatly enhancing the way farmers in 18 countries produce food, feed and fiber, biotech crops have reduced the environmental footprint associated with agricultural practices. This study offers the first quantifiable global look at the impact of biotech crop production.”

Biotech crops have reduced the volume of pesticide spraying globally by 6 percent since 1996, equivalent to a decrease of 380 million pounds according to the study. That’s equivalent to eliminating 1,514 rail cars of pesticide’s active ingredient. The largest environmental gains from changes in pesticide spraying have been from biotech soybeans and cotton, which have reduced the associated environmental footprint by 19 percent and 17 percent, respectively.