Chapter 7 The Environmental Benefits and Costs of Genetically Modified (GM) Crops

Justus Wesseler; Sara Scatasta; El Hadji Fall

doi:10.1108/S1574-8715(2011)0000010012

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Frontiers of Economics and Globalization

ISSN: 1574-8715
Series editor(s): Professor Hamid Beladi, Professor E. Kwan Choi

Subject Area: Economics

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Chapter 7 The Environmental Benefits and Costs of Genetically Modified (GM) Crops

Document Information:
Title:	Chapter 7 The Environmental Benefits and Costs of Genetically Modified (GM) Crops
Author(s):	Justus Wesseler, Sara Scatasta, El Hadji Fall
Volume:	10 Editor(s): Colin A. Carter, GianCarlo Moschini, Ian Sheldon ISBN: 978-0-85724-757-5 eISBN: 978-0-85724-758-2
Citation:	Justus Wesseler, Sara Scatasta, El Hadji Fall (2011), Chapter 7 The Environmental Benefits and Costs of Genetically Modified (GM) Crops, in Colin A. Carter, GianCarlo Moschini, Ian Sheldon (ed.) Genetically Modified Food and Global Welfare (Frontiers of Economics and Globalization, Volume 10), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, pp.173-199
DOI:	10.1108/S1574-8715(2011)0000010012 (Permanent URL)
Publisher:	Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Article type:	Chapter Item
Abstract:	The widespread introduction of genetically modified (GM) crops may change the effect of agriculture on the environment. The magnitude and direction of expected effects are still being hotly debated, and the interests served in this discussion arena are often far from those of science and social welfare maximization. This chapter proposes that GM crops have net positive environmental effects, while regulatory responses focus mainly on environmental concerns, giving an unbalanced picture of the regulatory context. This unbalance supports the hypothesis that environmental concerns about GM crops have been politically instrumentalized and that more attention should be paid to regulatory responses considering the environmental benefits of this technology. It is also argued that a number of environmental effects have not yet been quantified and more research is needed in this direction.