A new study shows that the use of "gmo-free" feed has higher costs for industry and the environment. Replacing gmo grains of corn or soybean would mean increasing carbon emissions in the environment and would require the use of more land for agricultural purposes through less productive conventional crops.  

The study prepared by the Institute of Food Education and Research (IFEEDER) in the United States showed that the use of gmo-free diets and foods has higher costs for livestock and aviculture actors. It is reflected that regulation can lead to increased greenhouse gas emissions and decreased possibilities for habitat and biodiversity preservation.

The goal of studying was to examine the environmental and economic implications if U.S. feed manufacturers needed to increase their production of non-biotechnological feed.  The study wanted to clarify the actors in the value chain about the complexities of going through the production process of GM and non-GM feed lines.

The results showed that when the use of safe and proven technologies, such as transgenic scans, is limited, costs for producers, consumers and the environment may increase.  The most relevant findings were:

- Although GMO corn and soybeans are more expensive for farmers, the extra costs are offset by lower costs of agricultural insums.

  - The use of non-transgenic seeds reduces the benefit of land preservation.  The data showed that the use of GM seeds allowed a considerable savings of hectares destined to agriculture.

- The no-tillage system for GM corn significantly reduces carbon dioxide emissions.

- The use of GM seeds improved nitrogen efficiency.

- The separation of GM and non-GM ingredients would insate additional costs for all actors in the production and supply chain, which would lead to an increase in the final price of the product.

- Replacing gmo foods with non-gmos would result in a significant increase in the price of products such as meat, milk or eggs.

Source: Agrolink