Contributions of Biotech Crops to Food Security, Sustainability, and Climate Change Solutions

Nov 04, 2024

ISAAA Inc. releases a new infographic featuring the contributions of biotech crops to food security, sustainability, and climate change solutions. Biotech crops are adopted globally because of their enormous benefits to the environment, human and animal health, and contributions to improving the socio-economic conditions of farmers and the general public.

Using data from PG Economics Limited and ISAAA's Global Status reports, the infographic presents the farm gains contributed by biotech crops in the last 25 years (1996-2020). Biotech crops contributed to food security, sustainability, and climate change solutions by:

Increasing crop productivity by $261.3 billion, equivalent to an average increase in income of $112/hectare;
Conserving biodiversity by saving 183 million hectares of land due to the productivity of biotech crops;
Providing a better environment by saving 748.6 million kg. a.i. of pesticides from being released into the environment;
Reducing CO2 emissions by 39 billion kg, equivalent to taking 25.9 million cars off the road for one year; and
Helping alleviate poverty by uplifting the economic situation of more than 17 million small farmers, and their families totaling >65 million people, who are some of the poorest people in the world.

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Video: Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Can winter canola open new opportunities for growers in the Mid-South? In this agronomy update from Noxubee County, Mississippi, Pioneer agronomist Gus Eifling shares an early look at a first-year winter canola trial and what farmers are learning from the field.

Planted in late October on 30-inch rows, the crop is now entering the bloom stage and progressing quickly. In this video, we walk through current field conditions, fertility management, and how timing could make this crop a valuable option for double-cropping soybeans or cotton.

If harvest timing lines up with early May, growers may be able to transition directly into another crop during ideal planting windows. Ongoing field trials will help determine whether canola could become a viable rotational option for the region.

Watch for:

How winter canola is performing in its first season in this Mississippi field

Why growers chose 30-inch rows for this trial

What the crop looks like as it moves from bolting into bloom

Fertility strategy, including nitrogen and sulfur applications

How canola harvest timing could enable double-cropping with soybeans or cotton

Upcoming trials comparing soybeans after canola vs. traditional planting

As more growers look for ways to maximize acres and diversify rotations, experiments like this help determine what new crops might fit into existing systems.