The increasing importance of herbicides in worldwide crop production.

Herbicide use is increasingly being adopted around the world. Many developing countries (India, China, Bangladesh) are facing shortages of workers to hand weed fields as millions of people move from rural to urban areas. In these countries, herbicides are far cheaper and more readily available than labor for hand weeding. History shows that in industrializing countries in the past, including the United States, Germany, Japan and South Korea, the same phenomenon has occurred-as workers have left agriculture, herbicides have been adopted. It is inevitable that herbicide use will increase in sub-Saharan Africa, not only because millions of people are leaving rural areas, creating shortages of hand weeders, but also because of the need to increase crop yields. Hand weeding has never been a very efficient method of weed control-often performed too late and not frequently enough. Uncontrolled weeds have been a major cause of low crop yields in sub-Saharan Africa for a long time. In many parts of the world, herbicides are being increasingly used to replace tillage in order to improve environmental conditions. In comparison with tillage, herbicide use reduces erosion, fuel use, greenhouse gas emissions and nutrient run-off and conserves water.

Economic impacts of glyphosate-resistant crops.

Glyphosate-resistant crops have been widely planted since their introduction in 1996. Growers have numerous choices for herbicide treatments and have chosen to plant glyphosate-resistant crops on the basis of economic factors. The economic effects of the widespread planting of glyphosate-resistant crops have included reductions in herbicide expenses, increases in seed costs, increased yield and changes in the relative profitability of crops that has resulted in changes in which crops are planted. In addition, non-pecuniary benefits have accrued as a result of the simplicity of weed management in the glyphosate-resistant crop systems.

Economic and herbicide use impacts of glyphosate-resistant crops.

More than 95% of United States maize, cotton, soybean and sugarbeet acres are treated with herbicides for weed control. These products are used to improve the economic profitability of crop production for farmers. Since their introduction in 1996, over 75 million acres of genetically engineered glyphosate-resistant crops have been planted, making up 80% of soybean acres and 70% of cotton acres in the USA. These genetically engineered crops have been adopted by farmers because they are perceived to offer greater economic benefits than conventional crop and herbicide programs. The adoption of glyphosate-resistant crops has saved US farmers 1.2 billion dollars associated with the costs of conventional herbicide purchases, application, tillage and hand weeding. With the adoption of glyphosate-resistant sugarbeets on currently planted sugarbeet acres, US growers could potentially save an additional 93 million dollars. The adoption of glyphosate-resistant crops by US agriculture has reduced herbicide use by 37.5 million lbs, although the adoption of glyphosate-resistant sugarbeets would dampen this reduction by 1 million lbs.