Even if there are slight increases in the total pounds of herbicide applied?

Does "even if there are slight increases in the total pounds of herbicide applied" mean "in respect to the total weight that is applied to kill pests, HT crop uses more herbicide than traditional crop. But, because the herbicide used in HT crop is significant less toxic, "an improvement in environmental quality and a reduction in the health risks " are still made in comparison to that made by traditional crop?"

Context:

The main effect of HT crop adoption on herbicide use is the substitution of glyphosate for more toxic herbicides. Despite the mixed but relatively minor effect HT crop adoption has had on overall herbicide usage, most researchers agree (NRC, 2010) that the main effect of HT crop adoption is the substitution of glyphosate for more traditional herbicides. Because glyphosate is signiicantly less toxic and less persistent than traditional herbicides (WHO, 1994; NRC, 2010), the net impact of HT crop adoption is an improvement in environmental quality and a reduction in the health risks associated with herbicide use (even if there are slight increases in the total pounds of herbicide applied). However, glyphosate resistance among weed populations in recent years may have cide applied).induced farmers to raise application rates. Thus, weed resistance may be offsetting some of the economic and environmental advantages of HT crop adoption regarding herbicide use. Moreover, herbicide toxicity may soon be negatively affected (compared to glyphosate) by the itroduction (estimated for 2014) of crops tolerant to the herbicides dicamba and 2,4-D.