USDA/ERS Publication

The First Decade of Genetically Engineered Crops in the United States
By Jorge Fernandez-Cornejo and Margriet Caswell, with contributions from Lorraine Mitchell, Elise Golan, and Fred Kuchler
Economic Information Bulletin No. (EIB-11) 36pp, April 2006

Ten years after the first generation of genetically engineered (GE) varieties became commercially available, adoption of these varieties by U.S. farmers is widespread for major crops. Driven by farmers' expectations of higher yields, savings in management time, and lower pesticide costs, the adoption of corn, soybean, and cotton GE varieties has increased rapidly. Despite the benefits, however, environmental and consumer concerns may have limited acceptance of GE crops, particularly in Europe.

This report focuses on GE crops and their adoption in the United States over the past 10 years. It examines the three major stakeholders of agricultural biotechnology and finds that:

1. the pace of R&D activity by producers of GE seed (the seed firms and technology providers) has been rapid,
2. farmers have adopted some GE varieties widely and at a rapid rate and benefited from such adoption, and
3. the level of consumer concerns about foods that contain GE ingredients
   varies by country, with European consumers being most concerned.

In this report ...

Chapters are in Adobe Acrobat PDF format.

• Report summary, 138 kb

• Abstract, Acknowledgments, Contents, and Summary, 99 kb
• Introduction, 57 kb
• Rapid Change and Pace of R&D Activity Characterize the Seed Industry and Technology Providers, 184 kb
• Adoption of GE Crops by U.S. Farmers Increases Steadily, 197 kb
• Consumer Demand Affects R&D, Adoption, and Marketing of GE-Derived Products, 104 kb
• Adoption Offers Market Benefits to Many Stakeholders, 135 kb
• References, 78 kb

• Entire report, 543 kb