Sustainable Farming News: KGA Conference and Organic Farming Forum

Kansas Graziers Association Winter Conference
 Set for January 19, 2013

      The Kansas Graziers Association (KGA) Winter Conference will be held Saturday, January 19, 2013, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Courtyard Mariott Hotel in Salina, Ks.   “Back to the Basics of Grazing Management” is the theme for this year’s conference. 

   “With so many new people interested in grazing management or wanting information on how to manage drought stressed pastures, we thought a full day of state experts on a number of critical topics was the best idea,” stated KGA secretary Mary Howell.

Speakers will include David Kraft, and Dwayne Rice, Kansas based USDA NRCS Rangeland Management Specialists. Kraft will address   drought management, and Rice will compare conventional grazing to MIG (management intensive grazing) and mob grazing.  Gary Kilgore, retired KSU grass and forages specialist, will discuss soil health and fertility in grazing systems, and Dale Strickler, rancher educator, will cover plant physiology, forage options, and extending the grazing season. Rancher Ted Alexander will also lead a rancher/farmer panel on drought planning and general questions on grazing.

   Registration fees are $50 for the first person per ranch, and $35 for a second person.  Student registration is $25. The Courtyard Mariott is located at 3020 Riffel Drive, Salina, Ks., at the Schilling Road Exit from I-135.

  Check the KRC website at www.kansasruralcenter.org for registration forms and information, or contact Mary Howell at marshallcofair@gmail.com or 785-562-8726 or call the KRC office at 785-873-3431.

   Cosponsors are Kansas Grazing Lands Coalition, Kansas Rural Center, Kansas Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Alternative Crops, and Kansas Farmers Union.

   KGA is sponsoring a social at the conference headquarters starting at 7 p.m. Friday night January 18 for those coming to Salina the night before. 

Dr. Michel Cavigelli, USDA ARS Farming Systems Project
Leader, spoke to about 70 organic, transitional
and conventional farmers at the forum.

Organic Farming Opportunities and Benefits
Highlighted at Forum

     “Dollars for organic research exist because of all of you,” Dr. Michel Cavigelli, USDA ARS lead scientist for the Farming Systems Program told the crowd at a recent forum on organic farming in Salina, Ks. 

   About 70 organic farmers, transitional or beginning farmers and a number of conventional farmers and non-farming landowners gathered to listen to Cavigelli’s overview of organic research across the country, as well as to learn more about organic cropping systems, certification, marketing opportunities, and USDA NRCS resources for organic.

   Cavigelli was referring to the growing farmer interest and consumer demand for organic products, and to the funds included in the past couple of farm bills dedicated to organic research needs.  Organic production is one of the fastest growing sectors within agriculture averaging about 18 to 20% per year the past 15 years. While research funds have not grown proportionately, forum participants learned that USDA and a few universities around the country have still been able to establish some important long- term studies and begin collecting base data. 

   Cavigelli and others spoke at the daylong forum organized by the Kansas Rural Center, and cosponsored by the Kansas Organic Producers Marketing Association, and Kansas Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Alternative Crops.

   All farming systems manage ecological processes to provide ecosystem services, Cavigelli explained. These services include food production, regulating of water quality, pests, and climate, and supporting soil retention and nutrient cycling.  Soil organic matter is the new buzzword in agronomy and conservation circles, largely due to concerns about soil health and carbon sequestration.

    Soil organic matter, stated Cavigelli, provides ecosystems services of increasing fertility, stabilizing soils to prevent erosion, helping control some pests, increasing carbon sequestration, and building system resilience in all agricultural systems. But organic farming, he explained, does all this without synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or genetically modified organisms.  “Improving organic matter and soil health have long been the foundation of organic farming systems.”

   “Organic farming systems have a mean carbon sequestration rate similar to no till systems,” he stated. While quick to acknowledge that more research is needed because the sites were not set up for one-to one comparison, organic systems fixed carbon in the soil at rates equal or higher than no till, especially at lower soil profiles at five long term agriculture research sites (LIARS).  In addition to the carbon benefits, 

organic systems also can have erosion or loss rates comparable to no till despite the tillage used in organic, although reduced tillage or no till within organic systems had better results than organic with tillage.

    As for yields, organic yields are on average lower than conventional systems—about 85 to 90% of conventional yields on average in all of the LIAR sites. But a closer look at the research has shown that the longer rotation systems (i.e. a six year rotation such as a corn followed by a fall rye cover crop, then soybeans, followed by wheat and then 3 years of alfalfa) brought crop yields closer to conventional averages. The longer term rotations also showed better weed control and lower soil erosion.

   Cavigelli pointed to organic farming’s research needs and challenges: improve manure management, integrate cover crops and perennial forages, and reducing tillage. “We have learned, “ stated Cavigelli, “ that you must pay as much attention to the cover crop as to the cash crop.”

   Crop rotations and soil building legume's and manure management practices were emphasized by Ed Reznicek, organic farmer and General Manager of the Kansas Organic Producers Association, as he outlined the challenges and opportunities in organic field crop production. Ib Hagsten, independent certified organic inspector, laid out the basics of organic certification.  If you are averse to record keeping, then organic farming is probably not for you, he advised.

   “Demand for organic crops surpasses the available supply,” stated Rodger Schneider, Kansas Organic Producers Association Marketing Director.  “About 60% of the organic soybeans processed in this country are imported from China or India.  That is opportunity for Kansas farmers.”  While conventional crop prices are at all time highs, premiums for organic crops have climbed too.  “We need more organic farmers to meet the product demand.”

 

   USDA official numbers for certified organic farmers nationally was under 12,000 with 400 million in sales in 2002.  By 2011, the number was nearly 13,000 with $3.5 billion in sales.   The official numbers for organic farmers certified in Kansas ranges from 83 to 167, depending on which set of data you are looking at and which definitions of organic farmer they used.  Numbers for surrounding states such as Iowa and Nebraska are much higher (Iowa 677 and Nebraska 211), according to USDA.

  Lyle Frees, Resource Conservationist, with the USDA NRCS office in Salina described how the EQIP Organic Initiative can help transitioning or existing organic farmers.  The NRCS program is there to provide cost-share assistance to transitioning organic farmers in adopting conservation practices (such as crop rotations, cover crops, nutrient management, grazing management, etc.) to facilitate the transition, and to help existing organic farmers in adopting needed conservation measures.  Each county should have a staff person who participated in the organic training workshops coordinated by the Kansas Rural Center and State NRCS office in 2010 and 2011.

  

   A range of farmers attended the meeting coming from all parts of the state and some from Nebraska and Northwest Missouri. 

   At the beginning of the day forum organizer Mary Fund told the group, “This is exactly what we wanted to see today—a broad spectrum of experienced organic farmers and transitional or beginning farmers or just curious conventional farmers.  I don’t want to downplay what you will learn from the speakers today, but what you’ll learn from each other will be just as important.”

About a third of those attending were currently certified organic farmers, another third were land-owners or non-organic farmers interested in learning more, and about a quarter were beginning or transitional organic farmers. Following the forum, Fund said, “98 percent of those responding to our forum evaluation asked for additional regional or local education and information meetings.  KRC is going to see what we can do to help make that happen.”

   Presentations from the forum are posted on KRC’s website at www. kansasruralcenter.org.

   The Forum was partly funded by a grant from the National Center for Appropriate Technology via a USDA NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant. 

   

Local Food News

 Niche Marketing Guide Available for Kansas Farmers
  

   Farm producers interested in selling their goods into local, niche and direct markets will have a new resource this month when the Kansas Rural Center’s “Finding Your Niche: A Marketing Guide for Kansas Farms” rolls off the press. 

   Packed with more than 150 pages of information, tips, resources, links and profiles, the guide has been a labor of love for KRC’s Our Local Food program team. Funding for the project was provided by the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant through the Kansas Department of Agriculture and by the USDA Risk Management Agency.

   The Guide provides information for farms producing a wide range of products, from specialty crops to livestock products, honey, aquaculture and more. Topics include how to set prices, develop a wholesale business with restaurants and institutions, set-up online marketing, and more. The Guide also includes a special section for beginning farmers.

   Cole Cottin, OLF-Kaw River Valley coordinator for KRC this year, served as editor of the guide, and said it is intended for experienced farmers and aspiring farmers alike. “If you are interested in selling farm products of any kind to local or regional markets, this guide is for you!"

   The guide will be available at the Kansas Rural Center web site. Or, you may order a print copy while supplies last by e-mailing your full contact information -- including address and phone number -- to ddysart@rainbowtel.net or call 785-873-3431. A donation to KRC to help cover shipping and handling costs, and to help continue our work with Kansas farmers in sustainable agriculture, is appreciated.

   The guide is in production now and expected to be printed by December 31.


Local Connections Workshop Draws Farms, Food Businesses, and Locavores

by Natalie Fullerton

   Fifty-six people attended the November 10 “Local Food Connections Workshop” held in Wichita, Kansas.The workshop focused on networking, marketing, and locating local food in south central Kansas. Those in attendance included farms, food businesses, and locavores looking to start or expand marketing and purchasing locally sourced food.

   Breakout sessions, comprised of ten different presentations, brought in speakers ranging from a chef Michael Beard, owner of 715 Restaurant in Lawrence, KS using a nose-to-tail meat use approach in his restaurant to Paula Miller, a dietitian offering advice on how to find and use local food in Kansas.

    Other speakers included: Rebecca McMahon, Sedgwick Count Extension Agent who presented on “Planning Crops for Consistent Yields;” Brady Krueger, Krueger Insurance, “Liability Insurance for Market Farms;” Pam Paulsen, Reno County Extension Agent, “Post-Harvest Handling for Produce;” Brian Phillips, Store Operations Manager for The Merc in Lawrence, “Local Food as a Marketing Tool”; Cherie Schenker, owner of Schenker Family Farms “Regulations of Buying & Selling Animal Products” and “Niche Livestock Marketing;” and Tracey Graham, Our Local Food-Twin Rivers Coordinator “Eating by the Calendar in Kansas” and “Preserving the Harvest.”

    A local food buyers and sellers panel shared their experiences. Challenges to buying and selling local food and how to overcome them, how far in advance connections with farms or businesses need to be made, important regulations and resources were a a few of the topics addressed.

    The workshop concluded with keynote speaker, Diana Endicott, founder and president of Good Natured Family Farms (GNFF). The company is a pioneering alliance of over 160 family farms within a 200 mile radius of the Kansas City metro area. Endicott manages the company’s many facets including sales to area grocery stores, a workplace wellness CSA which services employees at companies in the Kansas City community, a partnership with Bistro Kids to bring a farm to school program in eight Kansas City metro YMCA Head Starts, and Good Natured Market at Harvest Learning Center, a non-profit grocery store in Kansas City’s Ivanhoe neighborhood. Endicott discussed her current and future endeavors with the company and filled the room with excitement about the opportunities local food can provide for small farms and businesses.

Marketing Discussion Aims to Move Lawrence Forward 

      by Cole Cottin

    Niche marketing and under-tapped markets for farms was the discussion topic at a monthly Growing Lawrence (www.growinglawrence.org/) meeting on November 6.

    Participants were surveyed about types of wholesale or direct-to-consumer markets they are already selling farm products to. Nearly all were currently selling through multiple marketing outlets, primarily farmers markets, restaurants, and/or grocery stores. Several farms also sold through community supported agriculture (CSA) or on farm sales. Very few attendees were engaged in selling through internet, food distributors, caterers, or institutions (such as schools and hospitals).

    Following the survey, discussion focused on the benefits and challenges of selling to various market outlets. Participants addressed issues of scaling-up to meet growing demands for higher volumes of farm products. Ideas for the way forward included:

    *Saving on overhead expenses through the creation of an agricultural production co-operative for purchasing farm inputs (such as fertility irrigation supplies) and sharing farm equipment (such as a grain mill, or root washer);

    * Labor-savings through the creation of a agricultural marketing co-operative and/or “food hub” – to increase efficiency of local food distribution by aggregating and delivering higher volumes of farm products from multiple farms to a broader range of marketing outlets;

    *Exploring options for opening a food processing facility that could take raw local food products and process them into the types of foods needed by institutions, such as schools, that may not have access to equipment or labor for accomplishing food processing themselves.

    As a follow-up to the identified need for collaboration, Growing Lawrence’s December 4th meeting will center around sharing resources, such as seed catalogues, equipment catalogs, or other farm related resources with the group. Growing Lawrence meetings are open and free to the public and take place on the first Tuesday of every month, from 7:00am to 8:00am at the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce (7th and Vermont). 



Rural Brainstorm Sparks Discussion in Northeast Kansas
      by Jamie Dysart

    One woman is taking the initiative to sustain rural communities, while letting the younger rural generation who are “rural by choice” have an active voice in their communities.

    Marci Penner, the director of the Kansas Sampler Foundation and the author of “8 Wonders of Kansas Guidebook”, was the facilitator of the Northeast Kansas Big Rural Brain-storm (BRB), which was held November 12 at the Holton Evangel United Methodist Church.

    The BRB brought local citizens of Northeast Kansas together to discuss issues of living rural and how to solve their concerns, in hopes to have “collective brilliance”.

    “If we are all the same, we will always have the same thoughts,” said Penner. Penner explained the “power up movement”, which includes six divisions of agriculturists. These groups include the “power ups” who are people between the ages of 21-39 who are rural by choice and struggle with the connotation that “rural isn’t cool,” Penner said, while “sparks” are people under 21 who add good energy to community spirit.

    “Power Ons” are ages 40 and older who are passionate about rural living, she said. Citizens 80 years and older, Penner said, who are still offering positive input in the community are known as “super powers”.

    She said, “power generators” include those who live in bigger cities, but work to better rural communities, while “rural enthusiasts” are comprised of people who live anywhere and are supportive of rural Kansas.

     When Penner traveled Kansas to do research for her book she went to all 626 incorporated towns. She said half of those towns had less than 400 citizens. Those 313 towns only thrived when they accepted the voice of young people, Penner said, “Those were the towns that had the most ‘explorer value’.”

    Discussion groups were asked to answer the question of how well northeast Kansas is connected, and how can we communicate better ? “Before we can communicate in a region, you must communicate in your town,” Penner said.

    Penner introduced the “We Kan! Bank” to the BRB group. This is a system that matches community needs with those who can donate services, labor or money, she said. Everyone participated in the exercise of posting their accounts of service and their towns accounts of needs, and later could look at these to find out if they could help someone or if a services would be beneficial to a community need.

    Teresa McAnerney, a facilitator at the Northeast Kansas Enterprise Facilitation, said she is surprised at the amount of resources there is in a community and the willingness of people to work together. Courtney Schmelzie, Seneca Chamber of Commerce, said she is excited about the community involvement especially in the “power ups”. With almost 60 people in attendance at the northeast Kansas BRB only eight people were “power ups”. Penner said that the results of other BRBs are a lot different when there are more “power ups” in attendance.

    At the end of the BRB everyone wrote down how they can help sustain rural northeast Kansas on their “This is my Rural Action” card, and was encouraged keep working on it when they went home.

    “We need to fight for what we need, “said Penner, “if we don’t say what we need, it will not get done.”  
      (Jamie Dysart is a senior in agriculture communications at Kansas State University.) 

Briefs

Report on Coexistence of GMO's and Organic
 Sharply Criticized

In mid-November, the Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture (AC21) released its recommendations regarding transgenic contamination of organic and non-genetically engineered crops. The Committee was charged by Agriculture Secretary Vilsack with developing practical recommendations strengthening coexistence among different agricultural production methods.

   The National Organic Coalition, a national alliance of organizations representing organic farmers, environmentalists and organic industry, sharply condemned the recommendations.   Of particular concern in the report is the recommendation that organic and non-GE conventional farmers pay for crop insurance or self-insure themselves against unwanted GE contamination.

    NOC strongly asserts that this proposal allows USDA and the agricultural biotechnology industry to abdicate responsibility for preventing GE contamination while making the victim of GE pollution pay for damages resulting from transgenic contamination. “The AC21 report takes responsibility for GE contamination prevention out of the hands of USDA and the biotech industry where it belongs and puts it squarely on the backs of organic and non-GE farmers,” said Andrew Kimbrell, executive director at Center for Food Safety and a NOC member. “This ill-conceived solution of penalizing the victim is fundamentally unjust and fails to address the root cause of the problem – transgenic contamination.” 

   The underlying assumption of USDA’s work plan for the committee was that as long as farmers are adequately compensated, GE contamination is a permissible and acceptable cost of doing business for organic and non-GE farmers. NOC has rejected this assumption, as did several members of the AC21. According to NOC,  the committee’s final report failed to make a single recommendation holding the patent holders of genetic engineering technologies responsible and liable for damages caused by its use.

   The report can be viewed at  http://www.usda.gov/documents/ac21_report-enhancing-coexistence.pdf 



"Plowed Under" Report Documents Loss of Habitat and Grassland

      Between 2008 and 2011, more than 23 million acres of grassland, shrub-land and wetlands were plowed under in order to plant commodity crops, according to a recently released report by the Environmental Working Group and Defenders of Wildlife.  The plow down is in response to high crop prices and unlimited crop insurance, according to EWG, and  signals a need for public policy such as payment limits on crop insurance  premiums and requiring conservation practices.

   The analysis uses U.S. Department of Agriculture satellite data to produce the most accurate estimate currently available of the rate of habitat conversion in the farm belt. It shows that more than 8.4 million acres were converted to plant corn, more than 5.6 million to raise soybeans and nearly 5.2 million to grow winter wheat. Most of the destroyed habitat was in states in the Great Plains and Upper Midwest.

   The report contains maps showing grassland, shrub land and wetlands converted to crops  including counties in Kansas. To view the report go to:  http://static.ewg.org/pdf/plowed_under.pdf.

NRCS Launches Soil Health Initiative


In October, USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) launched a national initiative to highlight the benefits of healthy soils.  “By focusing more attention on soil health and by educating our customers and the public about the positive impact healthy soils can have on productivity and conservation, we can help our Nation’s farmers and ranchers feed the world more profitably and sustainably – now and for generations to come” states the website.

   At the initiative’s launch in Ohio, NRCS Chief Dave White explained that there are four keys to “unlock the secrets of the soil.” First, you want to increase the diversity above the ground to increase the life diversity below the ground,” said White. “You want to keep the soil covered as much as possible, you want to have a living root in the soil and you really want to optimize the inputs you put in.”

    For more information visit the NRCS website at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/soils/health/  

or talk to your local conservation district. 

RURAL PAPERS NO. 245 September-October 2012

Table of Contents

1) Small Farmer Commentary: Consideration of the Wild Cards

2) Brief:
 Crop Insurance May cost Taxpayers

3) Brief: More Weed Resistance, More Pesticides Used

4) Brief:
Study Finds GM Corn, Round Up Linked to Tumors and Organ Damage

5) Brief: Stanford Organic Study Criticized

6) Policy News: Farm Bill Uncertain

7) Workshop Focuses on Water and Fencing As Drought Intensifies

8) Organic Farming Forum Set for November 13 in Salina

9) Agriculture and Health Summitt Planned for November 16 in Topeka

10) Strategic Marketing Workshop Draws Enthusiastic Crowd

11) Community Organizes on Food Issues

12) Grazing School Covers MIG Benefits to Livestock, Soil and Plant Health, and
         Bottomline

13) Events

SMALL FARMER COMMENTARY

Small Farmer Commentary: 

     Consideration of the Wild Cards 

by Mary Fund 

Cooler temperatures and the colors of the fall landscape help us forget the extremes of the summer, even if we have not yet had the rains that would signal recovery or back to normal. Unfortunately, the political and economic landscape is much the same— it is uncertain and may prove as extreme as the weather.

Everyone hopes their vote will signal a return to the safety and surety of days gone by. Many are adamantly sure of their candidates and the path forward. But the world is a changing and increasingly complicated place, and regardless of who is elected, solving problems requires us to work together to meet new challenges—not something we have done very well the past few years. Solving problems also requires us to face certain realities and ask tough questions—another casualty of an ever more polarized populace and political leadership.

Frankly, I don’t see any “back to normal” for weather, economics or politics anytime soon. And unfortunately, these all have a major impact on the future of food production and natural resources, and our communities, our lives.

Despite their importance, there has been a general lack of focus on food, agriculture and climate issues in the major campaigns. Sure there are ample stories about the farm bill limbo we find ourselves in (and stories of both sides blaming the other for that). You can find the obligatory candidate-views of agriculture and energy policy in the mainstream ag press. But the politics of food, water and climate are largely no man’s land when it comes to responsible debate and discussion.

Surveys indicate that for farmers and ranchers, talking about climate change is a dead end. The majority don’t believe it, and if they do, they certainly don’t want to hear that they are contributing. And they darn sure don’t want their actions to be regulated. Surveys of the general public indicate that belief in climate change is on the upswing—and this was before the weather extremes and news of accelerated Arctic ice melts of the past summer. I myself have heard farmers and ranchers expressing more doubts about their previous denials after the second year of weather extremes. Yet, the politicians and decision makers play to fears and stick our head in the sand platitudes.

On other food and farming fronts, we hear conflicting stories or we hear nothing at all. Although the direction of Big Agriculture remains full throttle on genetically modified seed and products, studies pointing to problems with GMO’s keep popping up.

A recent French study of the impact on rats given a diet of GMO corn, or given water containing Roundup at levels allowed in our drinking water, found that the rats suffered from tumors and kidney and liver damage—pointing to a need for more research on the health impacts of GMO’s. Emergence of herbicide resistant weeds also creates increasing problems for GMOs; and carry over of herbicides hinders adoption of conservation minded cover crops on farms. All but buried studies of the impacts of GMO crops on soil microbiology raises questions of overall soil health and what long term damage are we inflicting? These are the wild cards of modern agriculture.

Facing certain realities and asking the right questions—real consideration of climate change impacts on agriculture and the impact of our technological fixes like GMO’s -- changes where the money goes (i.e. research, tax credits, farm programs, etc.) But change that is forced upon us by mistakes or disaster is far more painful than if we plan for it.

Farming and food production has always been about adaptation, and whether we accept climate change or not, or question the impact of GMO crops on our soil and personal health, farmers already find themselves adapting. Whether planting earlier in the spring because of warmer spring weather, double cropping behind those early harvests, planting more winter wheat or other small grains to hedge bets on another dry year, planting forage crops to provide fall and extended season pasture to offset hay losses due to drought, or constructing hoophouses with shade cloth and irrigation to produce fruits and vegetables—it is all about adaptation. All of these changes increase diversity on the farm, and in nature, diversity means survival.

Whether or not our politicians and leaders want to honestly look at the problems and issues facing our food, farming, climate and energy future, producers and consumers may be well ahead of them. There will always be wild cards, but asking questions and joining in a continued conversation about these and other issues is critical for a better future. 

BRIEFS: Crop Insurance May Cost Taxpayers

CROP INSURANCE MAY COST TAXPAYERS 

A recently released working paper from the American Enterprise Institute found that future crop insurance may cost the American taxpayer dearly. Findings showed the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) and Supplementary Coverage Option (SCO) programs proposed in the House version of the 2012 farm bill could cost taxpayers over $20 billion annually (or four times the current cost of the direct payment programs which the PLC would replace). Cost depends on what crop prices do in the future. If prices remain high, program costs would be $1.1 billion per year. If they drop to historical averages, insurance costs climb to nearly $20 billion.

The study also found that the pro-grams would disproportionately subsidize certain crops, specifically rice and peanuts. With subsidies tied to farm acreage, the PLC and SCO programs would be new and potentially very lucrative entitlement programs that would provide the greatest benefits to the largest farmers. (See www.aei.org/papers/economics/field-of-schemes-mark-ii-price-loss-coverage-and-supplementary-insurance-coverage-programs/.)

BRIEFS: More Weed Resistance, More Pesticide Use

MORE WEED RESISTANCE, MORE PESTICIDES USED
A recently published study by Washington State University research professor Charles Benbrook finds that the use of herbicides in the production of three genetically modified herbicide-tolerant crops - cotton, soybeans and corn - has actually increased. This finding is based on an exhaustive analysis of publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agriculture Statistics Service.

Benbrook’s analysis is the first peer-reviewed, published estimate of the impacts of genetically engineered (GE) herbicide-resistant (HT) crops on pesticide use.

In the study, Benbrook writes that the emergence and spread of glyphosate-resistant weeds is strongly correlated with the increase in herbicide use. Marketed as Roundup and other trade names, glyphosate is a broad-spectrum systemic herbicide. Approximately 95 percent of soybean and cotton acres, and more than 85 percent of corn, are planted to varieties genetically modified to be herbicide resistant.

"Resistant weeds have become a major problem for many farmers reliant on GE crops, and they are now driving up the volume of herbicide needed each year by about 25 percent,” Benbrook said.

The annual increase in the herbicides required to deal with tougher-to-control weeds on cropland planted to GE cultivars has grown from 1.5 million pounds in 1999 to about 90 million pounds in 2011.

Herbicide-tolerant crops worked extremely well in the first few years of use, Benbrook's analysis shows, but over-reliance may have led to shifts in weed communities and the spread of resistant weeds that force farmers to increase herbicide application rates (especially glyphosate), spray more often and add new herbicides that work through an alternate mode of action into their spray programs.

A detailed summary of the study's major findings, "Impacts of genetically engineered crops on pesticide use in the U.S. - the first sixteen years,” is available online at   http://www.enveurope.com/content/24/1/24/abstract