> More generally, a recent report from the National Academy of Sciences showed that herbicide tolerant and pest resistant GMOs have reduced insecticide use and have allowed farmers to use less toxic herbicides
There's been quite a bit of shade cast on that article as well. It compares yield growth rates (not absolute yield or cost) across country level data and ignores issues with European production like really high levels of fungicide use. Most people who are in agriculture think that this article was sensationalist crap that exploits several common statistical fallacies.
There's been some serious doubt cast on that assumption recently: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/30/business/gmo-promise-falls...