and Barfoot 2013). Maize is the second most dominant biotech crop after soybean
in 2012, with a surface plantation of 39.9 million ha, up by 2.6 million ha from
2011, which occupied 23 % of the global biotech area. The stacked maize category
includes three combinations of traits: a double stack with insect resistance (Bt) and
herbicide tolerance (HT), Bt/HT; a double stack with two traits for insect resistance, Bt/Bt; and a triple stack with two types of insect resistance, plus herbicide
tolerance, Bt/BtHT (ISAAA 2013). In the same sense, Bt cotton is the third most
dominant crop globally, which occupied 18.8 million ha, equivalent to 11 % of the
global biotech area, up by 0.9 million ha, or 5 % since 2011. The eighth most
dominant trait was herbicide-tolerant cotton occupying 1.8 million ha, the same as
last year, occupying 1 % of all biotech crops globally. HT cotton was planted in
eight countries—USA, Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Australia, Mexico, Colombia,
and South Africa. The increase in income benefits for farmers growing biotech
cotton during the 16-year period 1996–2011 was US$32.5 billion and
US$6.7 billion for 2011 alone (Brookes and Barfoot 2013). Another Bt crop is the
alfalfa, which was first approved for commercialization in the USA in 2005. The
60,000 ha of RR
Ò alfalfa represented approximately 5 % of the 1.3 million ha
alfalfa seeded in 2006 (ISAAA 2013). Finally, the Bt canola increased globally by
1 million ha from 8.2 million ha in 2011 to 9.2 million in 2012, equivalent to
12 %. The increase in income benefits for farmers growing biotech canola during
the 16-year period 1996–2011 was US$3.1 billion and US$0.42 billion for 2011
alone (Brookes and Barfoot 2013).
1.4 Organic
Organic agriculture refers to a farming system that has regulations to ban the use
of agrochemicals such as synthetic fertilizers and pesticides and the use of GMO,
as well as many synthetic compounds used as food additives (e.g., preservatives,
coloring) (IFOAM 2013; Yussefi et al. 2008). Organic agriculture, along with
other low input agriculture practices, results in less energy demand compared to
intensive agriculture and could represent a means to improve energy savings and
CO 2 abatement if adopted on a large scale. At the same time it can provide a
number of important environmental and social services, such as preserving and
improving soil quality, increasing carbon sink, minimizing water use, preserving
biodiversity, halting the use of harmful chemicals, and thereby guaranteeing
healthy food to consumers. Organic farming offers the most consistent approach to
agroecological progress. Because of the ban or restricted use of many direct
control techniques such as pesticides, herbicides, synthetic soluble fertilizers, and
veterinary medicines, organic farmers rely heavily on preventive and systemoriented practices (Forster et al. 2012).
10
L. Garcia-Mier et al.
in 2012, with a surface plantation of 39.9 million ha, up by 2.6 million ha from
2011, which occupied 23 % of the global biotech area. The stacked maize category
includes three combinations of traits: a double stack with insect resistance (Bt) and
herbicide tolerance (HT), Bt/HT; a double stack with two traits for insect resistance, Bt/Bt; and a triple stack with two types of insect resistance, plus herbicide
tolerance, Bt/BtHT (ISAAA 2013). In the same sense, Bt cotton is the third most
dominant crop globally, which occupied 18.8 million ha, equivalent to 11 % of the
global biotech area, up by 0.9 million ha, or 5 % since 2011. The eighth most
dominant trait was herbicide-tolerant cotton occupying 1.8 million ha, the same as
last year, occupying 1 % of all biotech crops globally. HT cotton was planted in
eight countries—USA, Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Australia, Mexico, Colombia,
and South Africa. The increase in income benefits for farmers growing biotech
cotton during the 16-year period 1996–2011 was US$32.5 billion and
US$6.7 billion for 2011 alone (Brookes and Barfoot 2013). Another Bt crop is the
alfalfa, which was first approved for commercialization in the USA in 2005. The
60,000 ha of RR
Ò alfalfa represented approximately 5 % of the 1.3 million ha
alfalfa seeded in 2006 (ISAAA 2013). Finally, the Bt canola increased globally by
1 million ha from 8.2 million ha in 2011 to 9.2 million in 2012, equivalent to
12 %. The increase in income benefits for farmers growing biotech canola during
the 16-year period 1996–2011 was US$3.1 billion and US$0.42 billion for 2011
alone (Brookes and Barfoot 2013).
1.4 Organic
Organic agriculture refers to a farming system that has regulations to ban the use
of agrochemicals such as synthetic fertilizers and pesticides and the use of GMO,
as well as many synthetic compounds used as food additives (e.g., preservatives,
coloring) (IFOAM 2013; Yussefi et al. 2008). Organic agriculture, along with
other low input agriculture practices, results in less energy demand compared to
intensive agriculture and could represent a means to improve energy savings and
CO 2 abatement if adopted on a large scale. At the same time it can provide a
number of important environmental and social services, such as preserving and
improving soil quality, increasing carbon sink, minimizing water use, preserving
biodiversity, halting the use of harmful chemicals, and thereby guaranteeing
healthy food to consumers. Organic farming offers the most consistent approach to
agroecological progress. Because of the ban or restricted use of many direct
control techniques such as pesticides, herbicides, synthetic soluble fertilizers, and
veterinary medicines, organic farmers rely heavily on preventive and systemoriented practices (Forster et al. 2012).
10
L. Garcia-Mier et al.