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Issue: Increased Yields, Reducing
the Need to Expand Agricultural Acreage
While the genetically modified crops on
the market today do not increase yields, they can improve yield
stability. For example, the GM crops that
produce their own plant pesticides do not yield more than traditional
varieties, they just protect the plants from yield loss. Differences in
yield do not represent the ability of the plant to produce more. In fact,
in the absence of pests, these hybrids should have yields equal to comparable
to traditional hybrids.
However, GM crops that increase yields are
under development and the future looks very promising. Unless yield increases
are able to keep in pace with population growth, more land will be need
to be devoted to commercial agriculture. Current tends show that the amount
of prime agricultural land available is decreasing. Crop yields may need
to increase by 20 to 40 percent in the next 20 years in order feed an
expanding population. Biotechnology provides some of the tools needed
to continue to increase the yields of the world's important staple crops.
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