Abstract
In this paper we assess the benefits and costs of introducing biologically contained genetically modified (GM) crops, with an application to the potential introduction of GM tomatoes and eggplants in Italy and Spain. Such crops possess both the standard beneficial GM traits, and they prevent introgression of transgenes from GM crops to their conventional or wild relatives, thereby adding to the safety of their cultivation. As a result, coexistence regulations for these crops are less stringent than for crops without biological containment. The potential adoption of biologically contained GM tomatoes and eggplants is assessed in a cost-benefit framework for Italy and Spain. We conclude that biological containment has considerable potential benefits if policy makers are willing to loosen the restrictions on the introduction of these varieties.
Highlights
Modified (GM) crops can substantially reduce the environmental footprint of agriculture and increase the sustainability of agriculture production
It follows that the possibility of coexistence and the adoption rate of genetically modified (GM) tomato and eggplant can be reduced to a trade-off between the value of switching to GM-crops vs. the costs of minimum distance requirements, which depends on the spatial characteristics of farms and GM adoption
The main benefits of GM tomatoes and eggplants appear to lie in virus resistance and insect resistance, whereas the benefits of biological containment will probably lie in the ability to use the entire potential production area of the two crops
Summary
Modified (GM) crops can substantially reduce the environmental footprint of agriculture and increase the sustainability of agriculture production. In this paper we assess the benefits and costs of introducing biologically contained GM crops, with an application to the potential introduction of GM tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and eggplant (Solanum melongena) in Italy and Spain. Such crops possess the standard beneficial GM traits that make them attractive for commercial cultivation. Calculation of the reduced coexistence compliance costs are based on a review of existing measures for GM crops in Italy and Spain, as well as a review of the technical aspects of GM tomatoes and eggplants that tells us which coexistence measures are relevant.
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