ABSTRACT

This study assesses the economic and environmental impacts that have arisen from the adoption and use of genetically modified (GM) cotton and maize in Colombia in the fifteen years since GM cotton was first planted in Colombia in 2003. A total of 1.07 million hectares have been planted to cotton and maize containing GM traits since 2003, with farmers benefiting from an increase in income of US $301.7 million. For every extra US $1 spent on this seed relative to conventional seed, farmers have gained an additional US $3.09 in extra income from growing GM cotton and an extra US $5.25 in extra income from growing GM maize. These income gains have mostly arisen from higher yields (+30.2% from using stacked (herbicide tolerant and insect resistant cotton and +17.4% from using stacked maize). The cotton and maize seed technology have reduced insecticide and herbicide spraying by 779,400 kg of active ingredient (−19%) and, as a result, decreased the environmental impact associated with herbicide and insecticide use on these crops (as measured by the indicator, the Environmental Impact Quotient (EIQ)) by 26%. The technology has also facilitated cuts in fuel use, resulting in a reduction in the release of greenhouse gas emissions from the GM cotton and maize cropping area and contributed to saving scarce land resources.

摘要

这项研究评估了自2003年在哥伦比亚首次种植转基因棉花以来的15年里，由于在哥伦比亚采用和使用转基因棉花和玉米而产生的经济和环境影响。已累计种植了107万公顷自2003年以来，种植了具有转基因特性的棉花和玉米，农民从中受益，收入增加了3.017亿美元。与传统种子相比，在该种子上每多花1美元，农民就可从种植转基因棉花中获得3.09美元的额外收入，并从种植转基因玉米中获得5.25美元的额外收入。这些收入的增长主要来自更高的产量（使用堆肥（耐除草剂和抗虫棉）增加30.2％，而使用堆肥玉米则增加+ 17.4％）。棉花和玉米种子技术减少了779,400千克有效成分（−19％）的杀虫剂和除草剂喷洒，因此减少了与使用除草剂和杀虫剂相关的环境对这些农作物的影响（通过指标衡量，环境影响商（EIQ））降低了26％。该技术还有助于减少燃料使用，从而减少了转基因棉花和玉米种植面积释放的温室气体排放，并有助于节省稀缺的土地资源。