umers and a reduction in the amount or strength of these chemicals would be beneficial. The author estimates the current annual US use of pesticides at 971 million pounds. The primary goal of GM crops is to reduce the need for pesticides. GM plants can be separated into two broad categories: herbicide resistant (74% of GM plants) and insect resistant (19% of GM plants) (James, 2000). Assessing the environmental benefits of using GM crops is difficult due to a lack of peer-reviewed studies on this issue. Research is needed to assess this important factor since the environmental benefits will probably vary depending on the GM plant grown and location (Brown, 2001).
Although, the environmental benefits of GM crops may be i
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