A great article by Bill Greider about US agriculture:

http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20001120&c=1&s=greider

An excerpt:

Among the consequences, the capital-intensive treadmill for farmers sped
up, and they became even more eager to embrace whatever innovation
promised to boost returns. Just as farm prices were cratering, Monsanto
and others began promoting genetically altered seeds for corn and
soybeans with cost-cutting promises, and this new technology swept the
landscape. "These farmers are so desperate for profitability," Fred
Stokes said, "they grab whatever is offered to them. Offering GM seeds
is like selling them a bag of cocaine." His grain-growing colleagues in
the Organization for Competitive Markets affirm that they have seen no
bottom-line benefits from GM seeds. As agricultural experience has long
demonstrated, the first farmers to adopt new production technologies
will enjoy higher returns, but the effect soon wears off when everyone
is using the same stuff. The result is still higher yields and greater
productive capacity--more surpluses than the market can absorb.
(Copyright 2000, The Nation.)

Comment:
Not all GE crops produce higher yields. In fact, we have seen ample evidence
that genetically engineered Roundup-Ready soybeans yield lower than
conventionally bred soybeans.

Tom Mathews

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