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What a GMO ban would do to economy and environment

An ag economist says the use of GMO technology is one of the most controversial issues around the globe and some would like to see them banned.

Wally Tyner with Purdue University says a global ban on GMOs would be detrimental to the world’s economy and the environment.  “If GMOs go away, the two big things that happen are commodity and food prices go up,” he says.  “And greenhouse gases go up.”

He says a global ban would result in higher food costs.  “But they go up more in poor countries,” he says.  “The highest price increase for commodities were in China, India, and the Middle East.  All areas that import food and all poorer areas.”

Similarly, food costs globally would increase 49-Billion-dollars annually which Tyner says would cause a decline in economic well-being.

He tells Brownfield the use of GMO technology reduces greenhouse gas emissions and it is difficult to be both pro-environment and anti-GMO.  “Yields go down – and so to produce the same amount of commodities that we produced before we need more ag land,” he says.  “To get that extra ag land, we have to plow up pasture or convert forest and that means we release greenhouse gases.”

The full findings of Tyner’s research will be unveiled later this month at the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association annual meeting.

AUDIO: Wally Tyner, Purdue University