After Years in the Red, Farms Return to Non-GMO Crops to Regain Profits

[NickB79]

14. Some inputs are lower, but yields are also usually lower with organic seed

Per the article:

He not only must pay more for herbicides to combat corn borer and root worm insects, but the yields can sometimes be unpredictable if the weather is not ideal. Dammann said in some years, his yields were in line with biotech crops and in other years they fell short.

In 2012, when the Midwest was in its worst drought in decades, output was 30 percent less than his genetically modified corn, he said.

Like you pointed out, in years where there's a glut of corn and soy on the market, loss of yield isn't a big deal if you're losing money on every bushel. But if we have a bad crop year and corn and soy prices shoot back up again, that may drive many farmers back to GM crops if the profit margin is large enough.

And according to the article, farmers are spending MORE on chemicals, not less, growing non-GM crops, because they're not going full-on organic (which would prohibit most herbicides and pesticides) but just non-GM.

Given all the variables from year to year, you have to be damn near prescient to be a successful farmer these days.