The Use of GM Crops in Developing Countries
Case study 7: Herbicide resistant soybean continued
3.61 The mean costs in hired labour and custom operation per hectare for RR soybeans and for conventional soybeans were found to be very similar.95 Because Argentine production of soybeans is fully mechanised, the use of herbicide does not displace hand-weeding labourers. Savings result from fewer tillage operations and more efficient harvesting. Whether herbicide resistant crops will be an appropriate addition to agricultural practice in specific developing countries will depend on the type of agriculture practised as well as on the type of crop. As one respondent to our Consultation observed:
‘Herbicide tolerance as a trait is harmful, not helpful in our situation …the socioeconomic interest of the poor rural community lies in manual weeding which provides wages to agricultural labour, which are usually the land-less farmers. Weeding is mostly done by women, providing them with a direct, and often only, income source. Also, some of the plants that are collected as weeds are consumed by the rural household. Many of these are leafy greens like amaranth … a rich source of vitamins and minerals, or serve as fodder for the livestock that is maintained as an additional source of income. These weeds are also medicinal plants which are accessed by rural communities for health and veterinary care.’ Suman Sahai, New Delhi, India, Gene Campaign
As we have said, raising demand for labour is the very essence of reducing poverty. Agricultural innovation should therefore aim to raise labour productivity. However, in poor countries with rapidly growing workforces and severe land and water shortages, productivity of land and water need to rise, so that employment and labour demand can increase. Therefore herbicide resistance which encourages farmers to displace labour is seldom a main priority for GM research in poor countries. But there may be very specific circumstances where less labour intensive crops can be of benefit to small-scale farmers in developing countries, as has been pointed out by the following respondents to our Consultation:
‘the use of genetically modified crops that reduce labour could significantly address specific social and economic crisis facing rural communities as a result of the AIDS pandemic… In Kenya, for example, the losses in agricultural production from AIDS at household level range from 10-50%. Shortage of farm labourers means that children are increasingly involved in agriculture, impacting their education and quality of life.’ International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) AfriCenter and the African Biotechnology Stakeholder Forum (ABSF)
Thus, the use of herbicide resistant crops will always have to be considered carefully on a case by case basis, taking into account the specific situation of the developing country concerned.
Footnotes95 The mean cost of hired labour and custom operation per hectare for RR soybeans was US$43.22, compared to US$46.82 for conventional soybeans. See Qaim M and Traxler G (forthcoming) Roundup Ready Soybeans in Argentina: Farm Level and Aggregate Welfare Effects, Agricultural Economics.