Global economic, environmental and health benefits from GM crop adoption

2015 marks 20 years of commercial production using genetically modified (GM) crops and while numerous environmental non-governmental organizations continue to trumpet that 'there are no benefits from biotech or GM crops', the authors beg to differ. GM crops have been tested or adopted in more than 30 different countries, with a variety of benefits. Developing countries such as China, India, South Africa and the Philippines have experienced economic, environmental and health benefits. Key agri-food exporters, in both modern market economies and developing countries, such as Australia, Canada, the United States, Brazil and Argentina have experienced near full adoption with GM varieties of canola, corn, cotton and soybeans. This review summarizes the economic, environmental and health benefits from GM crop adoptions in various countries, concluding with estimates of the distribution of the benefits of GM crops between farmers, consumers and innovators.