The biotechnology industry likes to claim that genetically engineered crops will produce higher yields. But according to Failure to Yield, a report by the Union of Concerned Scientists, traditional genetic crosses actually outperform genetically modified crops by a wide margin. 

Failure to Yield is the first report to closely evaluate the overall effect of genetic engineering on crop yields. It reviewed two dozen academic studies of corn and soybeans, and concluded that genetically engineering herbicide-tolerant soybeans and herbicide-tolerant corn has not increased yields.

The biotechnology industry has been promising better yields since the mid-1990’s, but Failure to Yield documents that the industry has been carrying out gene field trials to increase yields for 20 years without significant results.