Harvey Glick
The Economic Times (India)
Published June 19, 2007
In the 1960s, India produced only about 10 million metric tonnes of wheat annually, and crop failures created massive food shortages that required emergency shipments of grain to prevent widespread famine. Today, India produces over 70 million metric tonnes of wheat. This is due in large part to the success of the Green Revolution, based on new genetic improvements of crops combined with efficient use of crop production inputs.
However, food security remains a global challenge today and famine still threatens several parts of the globe. There remains a critical need to develop new agricultural technologies that will increase yields and eliminate crop failures and famines. Many scientists believe that new plants developed using modern biotechnology will play an important role in increasing our ability to produce enough food. Often called the Gene Revolution, advances in biotechnology are having dramatic impacts on global agricultural production.
Biotech crops were planted on over 100 million hectares last year by 10 million farmers in 22 countries and the results have been well documented. In all countries where farmers have access to biotech crops, yields are higher and production costs are lower, making farmers more efficient than ever before. Since 2003, when biotech Bt cotton was introduced, India’s cotton output has almost doubled to 27 million bales weighing 170 kilograms each, and average yields are up around two-thirds, largely because of lower rates of pest infestation in the hardier Bt-cotton varieties.
One of the most significant contributions from biotech crops has been their impact on the environment, although this has largely gone unnoticed. Unlike the original Green Revolution, which saw large increases in use of pesticides and fuel, the new biotech crops of the Gene Revolution help reduce the use of inputs like pesticides, fuel and water. EU economists reported that biotech crops have been responsible for a decrease in pesticide use of over 200 million kg, which has reduced the environmental impact by more than 15%. Fewer pesticide applications mean less use of fuel and water on the farm. In India, pesticide use in Bt cotton has been reduced by half and this has reduced the use of fuel and water as well as reducing farmer exposure.
Greenhouse gases are a much discussed topic today, but agriculture is often overlooked in this discussion. In fact,agriculture is a contributor of greenhouse gases and studies have shown that biotech crops help decrease these emissions. Scientists estimate that biotech crops planted in 2005 decreased global emission of carbon dioxide by 20 billion pounds. This is the equivalent of removing 4 million cars from the road for a whole year.
Indian farmers have always been in the forefront of innovation and have rapidly adopted these new biotech cotton varieties. Last year over 2 million small farmers planted an average 1.6 hectares of biotech cotton and Indian cotton yields have greatly increased. More importantly, these new crops are grown in a more sustainable manner, with less use of pesticides, fuel and water and less impact on the environment. Biotech cotton has been an overwhelming success story in India but production in many other crops has been stagnant and there are increasing calls to introduce these new biotechnology improvements to other crops to help Indian farmers become more efficient and more competitive.
As we look forward, the challenges become even greater. Every year, India loses valuable farmland to development and access to water becomes more challenging. There are greater demands to grow more food on less land, and in a more sustainable fashion with less environmental impact. All this must be done while dealing with climate change and the uncertain impacts on agriculture.
Improvements in agricultural technology are a critical component of meeting this challenge and biotech crops are already making a contribution. Insect protected crops and herbicide tolerant crops allow farmers to achieve high yields even while using fewer pesticides.
New drought tolerant crops, which will grow and survive even when rainfall is not optimal, are being developed through biotechnology. Imagine how this can help farmers who wonder each year as they plant their crop if they will receive enough rainfall to produce a good crop. The development of crops that can be used as biofuels is another important development. These biofuels, which are a renewable energy source that is clean burning, provide an important alternative to traditional fuels that also can contribute to a reduction in carbon emissions.
From the first Green Revolution to the current Gene Revolution, innovative new technologies have significantly improved our ability to feed our planet. Farmers in India and around the world, who have pioneered the use of Bt and RR crops developed from modern biotechnology, have seen their innovation rewarded in terms of higher production and lower environmental impacts. Future innovations like biofuels and drought-tolerant crops will further contribute to sustainable production efficiencies.
(The author is Director, Scientific Affairs, Monsanto)