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Abstract
Social costs and externalities associated with herbicide resistance have not generally been
considered by economists. The economics of managing herbicide resistance in weeds has
focused on cost-effective responses by growers to the development of resistance at the
individual farm and field level. In this paper we argue that the increasing possibility of
widespread glyphosate resistance presents a case where social costs associated with
glyphosate resistance need to be considered when assessing optimal use of this herbicide
resource at the farm level. Social costs associated with the loss of glyphosate efficacy
include potential failure of herbicide-resistant crop systems, reduced use of conservation
tillage techniques, and a potential greater reliance on herbicides with greater health and
environmental risks.