Insect-Resistant GE Rice, Pesticide Use, and Rice Farmers’ Health in China
نویسندگان
چکیده
Introduction The significant and multiple benefits that Genetically Engineered (GE) crops have generated, including increased yield and lower production costs due to reduced insecticide applications, have been well documented in the literature1-2. However, the impact of GE crops on farmers’ health due to the reduction of pesticide use has not been rigorously analyzed. While previous studies have indicated a reduction in acute (visible) pesticide poisoning in farmers because of GE crops, the impact of this reduction on farmers’ invisible health has not been quantitatively analyzed3. Our recent study estimated the health impact of pesticide reduction on farmers through the adoption of GE rice. We focused on invisible health effects because they are more common and may ultimately lead to fatal disease4-5.
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