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Growing failure of Roundup Ready crops provides opportunity to phase them out and adopt new methods and technologies

The cultivation of GM herbicide-tolerant crops may be regarded as a temporary aberration, rather than the revolution originally proclaimed by the proponents of these crops, a new GeneWatch UK report shows.

The report, titled "Time for the end of GM/GE herbicide tolerant crops?", looks at the economic, environmental and social impacts of growing Roundup Ready crops and newer herbicide-tolerant crops, reviewing more than 25 years of experience with this technology.

Here are some of the issues the report covers:

* Roundup Ready crops do not have higher yields

* Blanket spraying of Roundup Ready crops with weedkiller leads to resistant weeds

* Patents and monopolies add further costs and prevent seed saving

* Demand for non-GM seeds and ingredients is increasing

* Growing GM crops risks expensive contamination incidents

* Impact of Roundup Ready crops on farmers' choice, land rights and indebtedness

* Roundup Ready crops have negative environmental impacts

* Roundup Ready crops pose unknown risks to human health

* Roundup...