Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Genetically Modified Corn Diffusion And Biofuel Usage: Impacts On Corn Belt Cropping Systems Changes, Kenneth Annan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The adoption of genetically modified (GM) crops, the rise of ethanol production that produced an additional derived demand for corn, and the increasingly prominent position of corn and soybeans in crop rotations embody major changes in U.S. agriculture during the past decades. This study investigates the linkages among these developments in two ways. First, we look at how biotechnology and biofuels have influenced cropping system changes in the Corn Belt region of the United States, using state-level data from 2000 to 2019. Second, we investigate the determinants of corn acreage intensification levels and heterogeneity at the state level using data …