Balancing economics and sustainability: What would a future without glyphosate weedkiller look like?
Balancing economics and sustainability: What would a future without glyphosate weedkiller look like?
Aimpoint | July 17, 2023
Ongoing public debate about glyphosate has led some to question what the impacts would be if it were no longer available.
Follow the latest news and policy debates on sustainable agriculture, biomedicine, and other ‘disruptive’ innovations. Subscribe to our newsletter.
U.S. farmers would bear the burden of increased input and operating costs, with small farmers disproportionately affected.
Further analysis reveals a cascading chain of likely higher-order effects and unintended consequences, the most impactful being the rapid release of additional greenhouse gasses and the reversal of decades of conservation and sustainability gains.
…
Main Impacts Of A Future Without Glyphosate:
- Farmers’ profits fall as labor costs rise and they turn to more expensive glyphosate alternatives
- Use of alternatives would represent a 2-2.5X increase in cost/acre while switching to tillage could increase production costs by $1.9B+
- Small farmers are hit the hardest by decreased profits
- Costs to consumers rise as food prices experience marginal, inflationary pressures
- CO2 emissions and fuel use increases
[Editor’s note: Download the full report here]
This is an excerpt. Read the original post here
 | Videos | More... |
Video: Nuclear energy will destroy us? Global warming is an existential threat? Chemicals are massacring bees? Donate to the Green Industrial Complex!
 | Bees & Pollinators | More... |
GLP podcast: Science journalism is a mess. Here’s how to fix it
Mosquito massacre: Can we safely tackle malaria with a CRISPR gene drive?
Are we facing an ‘Insect Apocalypse’ caused by ‘intensive, industrial’ farming and agricultural chemicals? The media say yes; Science says ‘no’
 | Infographics | More... |
Infographic: Global regulatory and health research agencies on whether glyphosate causes cancer
Does glyphosate—the world's most heavily-used herbicide—pose serious harm to humans? Is it carcinogenic? Those issues are of both legal and ...
 | GMO FAQs | More... |
Why is there controversy over GMO foods but not GMO drugs?
How are GMOs labeled around the world?
How does genetic engineering differ from conventional breeding?
 | GLP Profiles | More... |
Alex Jones: Right-wing conspiracy theorist stokes fear of GMOs, pesticides to sell ‘health supplements’
Viewpoint — Fact checking MAHA mythmakers: How wellness influencers and RFK, Jr. undermine American science and health
Viewpoint: Video — Big Solar is gobbling up productive agricultural land and hurting farmers yet providing little energy or sustainabilty gains
Fighting deforestation with CO2: Biotechnology breakthrough creates sustainable palm oil alternative for cosmetics
Trust issues: What happens when therapists use ChatGPT?
California, Washington, Oregon forge immunization alliance to safeguard vaccine access against federal undermining
30-year-old tomato line shows genetic resistance to devastating virus
The free-range chicken dilemma: Better for birds, but with substantial costs
‘You have to treat the brain first’: Rethinking chronic pain with Sanjay Gupta
