Abstract 

The adoption of molecularly modified (MM) crops—encompassing genetically modified (GM) and newer gene-editing technologies—has become a focal point in the discourse on sustainable agriculture. Related literature reports that adoption of GM insect‐resistant and herbicide‐tolerant crops resulted in significant reductions in GHG emissions from on‑farm fuel use and facilitated switching to reduced tillage and no‑tillage systems (Brookes, 2022). Similarly, fuel savings and soil carbon retention are key channels, such as- reduced tillage saves fuel, which reduces CO₂ emissions from farm operations; no‐till / reduced tillage leads to increased soil organic carbon storage. Also, there is evidence of increased carbon sequestration associated with adoption of herbicide‑tolerant GM crops in Canada. However, not all cases explored so far show positive results of GM crop adoption. For instance Huang, K & You, Y (2024) , finds that GM crops have increased total agricultural carbon emissions by ≈ 7.4% and carbon‐emission intensity of crops by ≈ 9.4%, because of expansion into marginal lands which require more inputs like fertilizer and energy. Given the heterogeneity of baseline farming and cultivation practices, it is important to explore the final benefits of widening MM-crop adoption vis-à-vis whether it increases or decreases carbon emission. This discussion, attempt to examine the MM-crop adoption rate and asssociated carbon emission intensity across a panel of selected countries and MM-crops. Exploring sources such as FAOSTAT(OECD), IPCC(United Nations), ISAAA, Croplife, we compile a dataset that help gauge how expansion of MM crops production impact emissions for our selected panel of crops and countries.