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A qualitative multi-attribute model for economic and ecological assessment of genetically modified crops

Author

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  • Bohanec, Marko
  • Messéan, Antoine
  • Scatasta, Sara
  • Angevin, Frédérique
  • Griffiths, Bryan
  • Krogh, Paul Henning
  • Žnidaršič, Martin
  • Džeroski, Sašo

Abstract

Genetically modified (GM) crops have become a real option in modern agriculture. They offer advantages for agricultural production, but they also raise concerns about their ecological and economic impacts. Decisions about GM crops are complex and call for decision support. This paper presents a qualitative multi-attribute model for the assessment of ecological and economic impacts at a farm-level of GM and non-GM maize crops. The model is applied for one agricultural season. This is an ex-ante model developed according to DEX methodology. In this model, cropping systems are defined by four groups of features: (1) crop sub-type, (2) regional and farm-level context, (3) crop protection and crop management strategies, and (4) expected characteristics of the harvest. The impact assessment of cropping systems is based on four groups of ecological and two groups of economic indicators: biodiversity, soil biodiversity, water quality, greenhouse gasses, variable costs and production value. The evaluation of cropping systems is governed by expert-defined rules. The paper describes the structure and components of the model, and presents three practical applications of the model, assessing both hypothetical and real-life cropping systems. In an overall assessment of the ecological and economic outcomes the model ranked cropping systems in the order: organically managed>GM systems including Bt and HT traits>conventionally managed maize. The paper discusses contributions of the model to decision-making practice and highlights methodological lessons learned during its development.

Suggested Citation

  • Bohanec, Marko & Messéan, Antoine & Scatasta, Sara & Angevin, Frédérique & Griffiths, Bryan & Krogh, Paul Henning & Žnidaršič, Martin & Džeroski, Sašo, 2008. "A qualitative multi-attribute model for economic and ecological assessment of genetically modified crops," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 215(1), pages 247-261.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecomod:v:215:y:2008:i:1:p:247-261
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2008.02.016
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Sara Scatasta & Justus Wesseler & Matty Demont, 2006. "Irreversibility, Uncertainty, and the Adoption of Transgenic Crops: Experiences from Applications to HT Sugar Beets, HT Corn, and Bt Corn," Natural Resource Management and Policy, in: Richard E. Just & Julian M. Alston & David Zilberman (ed.), Regulating Agricultural Biotechnology: Economics and Policy, chapter 0, pages 327-352, Springer.
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    2. Debeljak, Marko & Trajanov, Aneta & Stojanova, Daniela & Leprince, Florence & Džeroski, Sašo, 2012. "Using relational decision trees to model out-crossing rates in a multi-field setting," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 245(C), pages 75-83.
    3. Samuel Le Féon & Théo Dubois & Christophe Jaeger & Aurélie Wilfart & Nouraya Akkal-Corfini & Jacopo Bacenetti & Michele Costantini & Joël Aubin, 2021. "DEXiAqua, a Model to Assess the Sustainability of Aquaculture Systems: Methodological Development and Application to a French Salmon Farm," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-28, July.
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    5. Nejc Trdin & Marko Bohanec, 2018. "Extending the multi-criteria decision making method DEX with numeric attributes, value distributions and relational models," Central European Journal of Operations Research, Springer;Slovak Society for Operations Research;Hungarian Operational Research Society;Czech Society for Operations Research;Österr. Gesellschaft für Operations Research (ÖGOR);Slovenian Society Informatika - Section for Operational Research;Croatian Operational Research Society, vol. 26(1), pages 1-41, March.
    6. Mouron, Patrik & Heijne, Bart & Naef, Andreas & Strassemeyer, Jörn & Hayer, Frank & Avilla, Jesus & Alaphilippe, Aude & Höhn, Heinrich & Hernandez, José & Mack, Gabriele & Gaillard, Gérard & Solé, Joa, 2012. "Sustainability assessment of crop protection systems: SustainOS methodology and its application for apple orchards," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 1-15.
    7. Štraus, Saša & Rozman, Črtomir, 2014. "A qualitative multi-attribute model for sustainability assessment of agriculture at field crop level," 2014 International Congress, August 26-29, 2014, Ljubljana, Slovenia 182958, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    8. Johnson Holt & Adrian W. Leach & Gritta Schrader & Françoise Petter & Alan MacLeod & Dirk Jan van der Gaag & Richard H. A. Baker & John D. Mumford, 2014. "Eliciting and Combining Decision Criteria Using a Limited Palette of Utility Functions and Uncertainty Distributions: Illustrated by Application to Pest Risk Analysis," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 34(1), pages 4-16, January.
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