The latest annual Global Biotech Crop Impact report covering economic and environmental impacts for the years 1996-2009 has been released (Brooks etal). This work has been subject to full peer review and been accepted for publication in two reputable peer review journals. The key headline impacts are:

*Biotech crops have contributed to significantly reducing the release of greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural practices – in 2009, this was equivalent to removing 17.7 billion kg of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere or equal to removing 7.8 million cars from the road for one year;
*Biotech crops have reduced pesticide spraying (1996-2009) by 393 million kg (-8.7%) and as a result decreased the environmental impact associated with herbicide and insecticide use on the area planted to biotech crops by 17.1%;
*There have been substantial net economic benefits at the farm level amounting to $10.8 billion in 2009 and $64.7 billion for the fourteen year period.

The full report can be downloaded from www.pgeconomics.co.uk