Global Status

Distribution of Biotech Crops, by Country

The principal countries that grew biotech crops in 2004 included the USA which grew 47.6 million hectares of biotech crops, (59% of global total), followed by Argentina with 16.2 million hectares (20%), Canada 5.4 million hectares (6%), Brazil 5 million hectares (6%), China 3.7 million hectares (5%) Paraguay with 1.2 million hectares (2%) and with India and South Africa at 0.5 million hectares each (1%). It should be noted that of these top eight countries, growing half a million hectares or more of biotech crops, the majority (six) are developing countries, Argentina, Brazil, China, Paraguay, India and South Africa, compared with a minority of two industrial countries, USA and Canada. Of the top six biotech developing countries, Brazil promulgated a Presidential decree in October 2004 to sanction the continued growing of biotech crops officially for the second year, whilst the other five countries all reported continued significant growth of biotech crops between 2003 and 2004. The projected 5 million hectares of herbicide tolerant soybean in Brazil represents a conservative 22% of the projected plantings of around 23 million hectares of the national soybean hectarage in 2004/05. Notably, Paraguay registered four varieties of herbicide tolerant soybean for the first time in 2004 with an estimated hectarage of biotech soybean of 1.2 million hectares; this represents approximately 60% of the national hectarage of 2 million hectares of soybean in Paraguay in 2004.

Global Area of Biotech Crops, 1996 to 2004: By Country (Million Hectares)
Country
 
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
(mha)
USA*
1.5
8.1
20.5
28.7
30.3
35.7
39.0
42.8
47.6
Argentina*
0.1
1.4
4.3
6.7
10.0
11.8
13.5
13.9
16.2
Canada*
0.1
1.3
2.8
4.0
3.0
3.2
3.5
4.4
5.4
Brazil*
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
3.0
5.0
China*
--
0.0
<0.1
0.3
0.5
1.5
2.1
2.8
3.7
Paraguay*
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
1.2
South Africa*
--
--
<0.1
0.1
0.2
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
Australia*
<0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.2
0.2
0.1
0.1
0.2
India*
--
--
--
--
--
--
<0.1
0.1
0.5
Romania*
--
--
--
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
0.1
Spain*
--
--
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
0.1
Uruguay*
--
--
--
--
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
0.1
0.3
Mexico*
<0.1
<0.1
0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
0.1
Bulgaria
--
--
--
--
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
--
Indonesia
--
--
--
--
--
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
--
Colombia
--
--
--
--
--
--
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
Honduras
--
--
--
--
--
--
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
Germany
--
--
--
--
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
France
--
--
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
--
--
--
--
Ukraine
--
--
--
<0.1
--
--
--
--
--
Portugal
--
--
--
<0.1
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
<0.1
0.1
Total
1.7
11.0
27.8
39.9
44.2
52.6
58.7
67.7
81.0
Source: Clive James, 2004. *Biotech mega-countries which grew more than 50,000 hectares, or more, of biotech crops in 2004.
 


USDA Photo

Related Topics:

  1. Global Area of Biotech Crops
  2. Distribution of Biotech Crops in Industrial and Developing Countries
  3. Distribution of Biotech Crops, by Country
  4. Distribution of Biotech Crops, by Crop
  5. Distribution of Biotech Crops, by Trait
  6. Dominant Biotech Crops
  7. Global Adoption of Biotech Soybean, Maize, Cotton and Canola
  8. The Global Value of the Biotech Crop Market

Status of Other Countries:

  1. Africa
  2. Asia
  3. Europe
  4. North America
  5. Oceania
  6. South America

 

Summary Report on the Global Status of Biotech/GM Crops - [View the 2004 report]

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SciDev.Net's dossier on GM crops - [Click here]

Global Status of Approved Genetically Modified Plants -  [Click here]
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