The introduction of Bt cotton negated the need for an ocean of pesticides - for a while it seems. Chinese farmers who, like US producers have no doubt been scrupulous in setting aside refuges, have discovered even without bollworm resistance, the ecological niche is being filled by other pests. Sooo...you get to pay for Bt seed AND pesticides.
The five million Chinese GM cotton farmers appear to have created a natural vacuum by growing cotton genetically engineered to kill the bollworm larvae which used to destroy their plants. With the bollworm larvae gone, other pests called mirids have taken over, forcing farmers to eradicate them with lashings of expensive insecticide that have all but destroyed the original economic benefits. [More]
The similar problem of marestail and volunteer RR corn springs to mind. Technology fees and creeping herbicide costs may force us to force Congress to force consumers to buy even more ethanol.
Sounds like a plan.
Or we could go with synthetic fibers made from...corn!
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