Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | eLS (Encyclopedia of Life Sciences) |
Place of Publication | Chichester |
Publisher | John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
Pages | 1-8 |
Number of pages | 8 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 12 Apr 2017 |
Abstract
Genetically modified (GM) crops have now been under commercial production for over 20 years. They are grown on around 180 million hectares of land in 28 countries worldwide, and cultivation is dominated by four crops: maize, soya bean, cotton and canola. First-generation herbicide-tolerant and insect-resistant GM crops have many quantifiable beneficial uses, including increasing crop yields and reducing pesticide use, to maximise outputs on currently available agriculture land while conferring a range of economic, environmental and human health benefits. Over the next few years, the increasing commercialisation of second-generation GM crops with improved quality traits should produce similar benefits and contribute to the sustainable intensification of agriculture that is required to ensure global food security for future generations.