Prior to the introduction of Round Up ready seeds, There was no economical/efficacious soybean herbicide: soybeans were weeded mechanically. Tillage encouraged erosion, increased moisture loss, damaged the crop, and was back breakingly laborious.
Not so; there have been instances where [possible] wind-borne pollination from neighboring GMO crops have led to the legal persecution of their owner. -- This is especially damaging for any farm which raises "natural organic" produce, as even the pollination from GMOs destroys the legitimacy [and results in legal liability IIUC] of their labeling the produce as such. (So if you decide to go with an organic crop, catering to a small, specialized customer, but your buddy-across-the-road doesn't [and uses the GMO] and there is cross pollination you could be in trouble from two directions: copyright infringement from the corporate, and fraud suits from your customers.)
Prior to the introduction of Round Up ready seeds, There was no economical/efficacious soybean herbicide: soybeans were weeded mechanically. Tillage encouraged erosion, increased moisture loss, damaged the crop, and was back breakingly laborious.
And? Does the added convenience of such negate the rights of those farmers that do it the traditional way?