title: obama admits to rigged elections back in
text: genetically modified crops in us fail to deliver expected yields  
  all gov 
  the controversy over genetically modified crops has long focused on largely unsubstantiated fears that they are unsafe to eat 
  but an extensive examination by the new york times indicates that the debate has missed a more basic problem  genetic modification in the united states and canada has not accelerated increases in crop yields or led to an overall reduction in the use of chemical pesticides 
  the promise of genetic modification was twofold by making crops immune to the effects of weedkillers and inherently resistant to many pests they would grow so robustly that they would become indispensable to feeding the worlds growing population while also requiring fewer applications of sprayed pesticides 
  twenty years ago europe largely rejected genetic modification at the same time the united states and canada were embracing it comparing results on the two continents using independent data as well as academic and industry research shows how the technology has fallen short of the promise 
  an analysis by the times using un data showed that the united states and canada have gained no discernible advantage in yields when measured against western europe a region with comparably modernized agricultural producers like france and germany  also a recent national academy of sciences report found there was little evidence that the introduction of genetically modified crops in the united states had led to yield gains beyond those seen in conventional crops 
  at the same time herbicide use has increased in the united states even as major crops like corn soybeans and cotton have been converted to modified varieties and the united states has fallen behind europes biggest producer france in reducing the overall use of pesticides which includes both herbicides and insecticides 
  one measure contained in data from the us geological survey  shows the stark difference in the use of pesticides since gm crops were introduced in the united states two decades ago for crops like corn cotton and soybeans the use of toxins that kill insects and fungi has fallen by a third but the spraying of herbicides which are used in much higher volumes has risen  percent 
  by contrast in france use of insecticides and fungicides has fallen  percent and herbicide use has decreased  percent 
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