Abstract
White maize in South Africa is the only staple crop produced on a widespread commercial basis for direct human consumption using genetically modified (GM) cultivars. Using a combined economic and environmental approach, we estimate the total welfare benefits attributable to GM white maize in South Africa for 2001–2018 are $694.7 million. Food security benefits attributable to GM white maize in South Africa also manifest through an average of 4.6 million additional white maize rations annually. To achieve these additional annual rations using conventional hybrid maize, the additional land required would range from 1088 ha in 2001 to 217,788 ha in 2014. Results indicate that GM maize reduces environmental damage by $0.34 per hectare or $291,721 annually, compared to conventional hybrid white maize.
Highlights
White maize is an important field crop in South Africa, serving as the staple food for the majority of its population, for lowincome households (Abidoye and Mabaya, 2014; Gouse, 2013)
Despite South Africa’s upper-middle-income country classification, food insecurity is an ongoing concern for a large segment of the popu lation, as evident from 2014 to 2015 when over a fourth of households experienced food insecurity due to severe drought and subsequent food price shocks (STATSSA, 2016)
Our analysis of producer profitability focuses on the main production regions in the North West and Free State provinces, and we find that genetically modified (GM) hectares breakeven more often than non-GM hectares
Summary
White maize is an important field crop in South Africa, serving as the staple food for the majority of its population, for lowincome households (Abidoye and Mabaya, 2014; Gouse, 2013). Much of the research evaluating the impacts of transgenic crops ( sub sequently called genetically modified (GM) crops) has focused on the producer benefits (increased yields, reduced costs, or both) of input traits (Shi et al, 2013; Xu et al, 2013). In 2014–2015, 22% of households experienced food insecurity due to a severe drought and subsequent staple food price shocks (STATSSA, 2016). As a consequence of the drought, reached as high as 41% in North West province and 32%, 31%, and 26% in Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, and Free State provinces, respectively (STATSSA, 2016)
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