4 ms·

Not really: GMO crops don't really use more pesticides. Very often less. It's not totally a one-way street and things are complicated in many situations, but t

• tormeh 10y ago
  They don't need more, but Monsanto's breeds allow you to use more, which is something farmers want, because that means you get less weeds.
  • saalweachter 10y ago
    Herbicides, not pesticides. Also, keep in mind that "herbicide" is not a single thing; the particular herbicide that Monsanto sells (glyophosate) is more-or-less not toxic to mammals or insects and does not migrate to the water table. You can't just compare "pounds of *cide" and call it a day. It is very important how much of which pesticides and herbicides are being applied, and what the properties of those are (how long they take to break down, whether they migrate to the water table, how toxic they are to different animals).
• zzalpha 10y ago
  GMO crops don't really use more pesticides. Very often less. Nope: http://www.forbes.com/sites/bethhoffman/2013/07/02/gmo-crops-mean-more-herbicide-not-less/ http://www.forbes.com/sites/bethhoffman/2013/07/02/gmo-crops... FTA: Overall pesticide use decreased only in the first few years GE crops were used (42 percent between 1998 and 2001) and has since then risen by 26 percent from 2001 to 2010. By 2011 there were also three times as many herbicide-resistant weeds found in farmer's fields as there were in 2001. Now, I think the GMO scare out there borders on mindless hysteria. But pesticide and herbicide resistant crops are just... bad.