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Biotech Crops On the Rise

By Kathryn McConnell

Farmers planted 7 percent more hectares with biotech crops in 2009 than in the previous year, according to an international research report.

In fact, there have been annual increases in such planting since 1996, when biotech seeds were first commercialized. "The 80-fold increase in hectares planted with biotech crops between 1996 and 2009 is unprecedented and makes biotech crops the fastest adopted crop technology in the history of agriculture," reports the research group International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications.

Farmers in 25 countries plant biotech seeds. About half of the biotech-planted hectares are in developing countries. Ninety percent of the farmers planting biotech, or genetically modified crops, are small land-holders, the group says.

The rest are large farmers from both industrial countries like the United States and Canada, and from developing countries such as Argentina and Brazil, according to the group's report, Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: 2009 ( http://www.isaaa.org/resources/publications/briefs/41/executivesummary/default.asp ).

Biotech soybeans account for more than 75 percent of soybean hectares globally. Roughly half of the world's hectares planted in cotton and one-fourth of hectares planted in maize have biotech varieties.

Soybeans continue to be the most prevalent biotech crop, occupying more than half of all biotech hectares. Herbicide tolerance is the most prevalent trait in planted biotech seeds.

Notably, in November 2009, China issued biosafety certificates for insect-resistant rice and maize containing phytase, which helps livestock digestion. Those actions ensure crops are safe for humans, animals and the environment and clear the way for the crops' commercialization, which may take another two to three years of field trials. Both crops were developed by local researchers without funding from Western firms.

Rice is the most important food crop in the world, and maize is the most important feed crop. China is the world's largest rice producer and its second largest maize producer.

"China's global leadership in approving biotech rice and maize will likely become a positive role model and influence acceptance and speed of biotech food and feed crop adoption throughout Asia and globally," said Clive James, the biotech research group's chairman.

The United States is the largest grower of biotech crops. It is followed by Brazil, Argentina, India, Canada, China, Paraguay and South Africa.

Of the 25 countries growing biotech crops in 2009, 10 are in Central and South America, three countries are in Africa, six are in Europe and three are in Asia. Australia also plants biotech crops. (Costa Rica recently started planting biotech seeds, while Germany stopped.)

The research center predicts that additional biotech crops will be approved by 2015, including potatoes, sugarcane and bananas. Wheat remains the last major staple crop without approved biotech traits; however, political support for a biotech wheat crop is building globally, according to the research group.

The research group has offices in Manila, Nairobi and Ithaca, New York.

(This is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://www.america.gov)