During 1999, agricultural economist Charles Benbrook tried to answer that question. First we should acknowledge that, by these criteria, U.S. agriculture is not sustainable now and hasn't been for many decades. Of course when one farm expands its acreage, often another farm family has to move off the land.
Biotechnology results from mergers of seed companies and pesticide companies.
As pesticide companies try to raise the profit margins of their newly-acquired seed companies up toward the levels expected of pesticide companies, the cost of seed and chemicals will probably continue to rise for farmers. This has, in fact, been happening, Benbrook shows. In the midwestern farm belt, corn and soybeans are the major crops. Genetically modified crops are requiring more herbicides than farmers were initially led to believe they would, thus driving up weed management costs. Take Roundup Ready crops.