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overview
Agricultural biotechnology has been advancing rapidly; and for all
the promises it offers, it poses as many questions. Agricultural
biotechnology is rewriting the rules in several key areas—agricultural
research policy, industry structure, production and marketing, consumer
preference, and world food demand—and public policy is struggling
to keep up. Much of the current interest in biotechnology stems
from the rapid diffusion in North America and other exporting countries,
like Argentina, of genetically engineered (GE) crops such as cotton,
soybeans, corn, and canola, and from the uneasy consumer response
in Europe as compared with the United States. More
overview...
contents
features
 Genetically
Engineered Crop Varieties Gain Further Acreage Share in 2004—Genetically
engineered varieties of soybeans, corn, and cotton have been available
commercially since 1996. Since then, their rate of use by U.S. farmers
has climbed most years, including 2004. For the most part, farmers
have adopted herbicide- tolerant (HT) varieties, which help control
weeds, at a faster pace than insect-resistant varieties, which help
control insects. (09/04)
Have Seed
Industry Changes Affected Research Effort?—Crop variety
R&D over the past 30 years has moved from being predominantly
public to predominantly private. Private sector firms have evolved
from small operations to large integrated enterprises capable of
variety development and seed production, conditioning, and marketing.
Greater protection of intellectual property rights for crop-seed
innovations through patents and certificates has spurred private
investment in general and may increasingly stimulate private R&D.
Still, ERS analysis shows that consolidation in the private seed
industry over the past decade may have dampened the intensity of
private research undertaken on crop biotechnology relative to what
would have occurred without consolidation, at least for corn, cotton,
and soybeans. (02/04)
The Seed Industry in U.S. Agriculture—Unprecedented
growth in crop yields and agricultural total factor productivity
over the past 70 years owes much to biological innovation embodied
in seeds, beginning with the development of hybrid crops in the
United States in the early part of the 20th century, continuing
with the Green Revolution of the 1960s and early 1970s, and, more
recently, modern biotechnology. Throughout this period, the seed
industry has evolved. This publication explores data and information
on crop seed markets, regulation, industry, and R&D relating
to the U.S. seed industry.
Consumers
and the Future of Biotech Foods in the United States—Biotechnology
is often associated with promise to feed the world, promise to reduce
environmental harm, promise to expand agricultural markets and production
possibilities, promise to create products that consumers want. In
light of these potential applications, this article examines the
level of acceptance of biotechnology by farmers and consumers in
the U.S.
The Effects of Information on Consumer
Demand for Biotech Foods: Evidence from Experimental Auctions—Consumers'
willingness to pay for food products decreases when the food label
indicates that a food product is produced with the aid of modern
biotechnology. An experimental auction was designed and conducted
to elicit consumers' willingness to pay for "genetically modified"
(GM)-labeled and standard-labeled foods under different information
regimes. For vegetable oil, tortilla chips, and potatoes, labels
mattered. Consumers discounted food items labeled "GM"
by an average of 14 percent. The study also found that gender, income,
and other demographic characteristics had only a slight impact on
consumers' willingness to pay for biotech foods, while information
from interested parties and independent third-party sources had
a strong impact. (4/03)
Adoption of Bioengineered Crops—This
report uses USDA survey data to examine the extent to which US farmers
have adopted bioengineered crops, factors affecting adoption of
these crops, and the impacts of bioengineered crops on input use
and farm-level net returns. (6/02)
recommended readings
Size
and Distribution of Market Benefits from Adopting Biotech Crops
estimates the size and distribution of market benefits from adopting
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton, herbicide-tolerant cotton, and
herbicide-tolerant soybeans in 1997. Impacts on U.S. farmers, U.S.
consumers, biotechnology developers, germplasm suppliers, and producers
and consumers in other countries are assessed.
Economic Issues in Agricultural
Biotechnology—The emergence of agricultural biotechnology
introduces new concerns about the supply of new technology and its
impact on the marketplace New developments in marketing and contractual
arrangements between farmers and grain and food processors will
likely become critical issues as more genetically engineered (GE)
crops enter the marketplace. This report explores some implications
for grades and standards for GE products, as well as the extent
of biotechnology adoption by U.S. farmers and some of the farm-level
effects. Other topics include important advances in biological science,
the roles of public and private research, and recent changes in
input industry structure. Also examined are consumer preferences,
particularly U.S. versus European, and biotechnology's potential
to feed a growing world population. (3/01)
See all recommended readings...
recent data products
Agricultural Biotechnology Intellectual
Property—This database identifies and describes U.S. utility
patents on inventions in biotechnology and other biological processes-with
issue dates between 1976 and 2000-that are used in food and agriculture.
The database also provides information about the ownership of these
patents, whether patents are held in the public or private sector,
and changes in patent ownership due to firm mergers, acquisitions,
and spinoffs.
Genetically Engineered
Crops in the U.S.—This data product provides information
on the extent of adoption of genetically engineered herbicide-tolerant
and insect-resistant crops in the United States 2000-2004. (7/04)
recent research developments
Meetings, conferences, and activities
of researchers
in the ag biotech area.
related briefing rooms
Agricultural chemicals and production technology
Agricultural research and productivity
Information policy
Traceability in the U.S. Food
System
related links
USDA's Agricultural
Biotechnology—Includes news, laws, and regulations, and
info on research and trade.
APHIS' Agricultural
Biotechnology—Regulations, permitting, and more.
See all related links...
glossary
Agricultural biotechnology
concepts and definitions…
for more information, contact:
Margriet Caswell
web administration: webadmin@ers.usda.gov
page updated: September
8 , 2004
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