CropBiotech
Update: Special Edition
A
weekly summary of world developments in agri-biotech for developing
countries, produced by the Global Knowledge Center on Crop Biotechnology, International
Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications SEAsiaCenter
(ISAAA), and AgBiotechNet
January
12, 2005 |
HIGHLIGHTS
of ISAAA Briefs No. 32-2004
Preview: Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: 2004
by
Clive James, Chair ISAAA Board of Directors
(ISAAA, International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications) |
The
Brief was released on 12 January 2005. ISAAA Brief 32 characterizes
the global status in 2004 of commercialized transgenic or GM
crops, now often called biotech crops, as referred to consistently
in the Brief. The focus on developing countries is consistent
with ISAAA’s mission to assist developing countries in
assessing the potential of biotech crops. The principal aim,
is to present a consolidated set of data that will facilitate
a knowledge-based discussion of the current global trends in
biotech crops.
- Brief
32 provides the most recent data on biotech crops globally
for 2004, and confirms that the global biotech crop
area continued to grow for the ninth consecutive year
at a sustained double-digit rate.
- In
2004, the global area of biotech crops continued to grow
at a substantial rate of 20%, compared with 15% in 2003.
- The
estimated global area of approved biotech crops for 2004
was 81.0 million hectares, equivalent to approx. 200
million acres, up from the 67.7 million hectares or 167
million acres in 2003.
- In
2004, 5% of the 1.5 billion hectares (3.7 billion acres)
of all global cultivable cropland was occupied by biotech
crops.
- Biotech
crops were grown by 8.25 million farmers in 17 countries
in 2004, up from 7 million farmers in 18 countries in
2003. Notably, 90% of the beneficiary farmers were resource-poor
farmers from developing countries, whose increased incomes
from biotech crops contributed to the alleviation of
poverty.
- The
increase in biotech crop area between 2003 and 2004,
of 13.3 million hectares or 32.9 million acres, is the
second highest on record.
- In
2004, there were fourteen biotech mega-countries (countries
growing 50,000 hectares -125,000 acres - or more, of
biotech crops), compared with ten in 2003 - 9 developing
countries and 5 industrial countries; they were, in order
of hectarage/acreage, USA, Argentina, Canada, Brazil,
China, Paraguay, India, South Africa, Uruguay, Australia,
Romania, Mexico, Spain and the Philippines.
- During
the period 1996-2004 the accumulated global biotech crop
area was 385 million hectares or 951 million acres (almost
1 billion acres), equivalent to 40% of the total land
area of the USA or China, or 15 times the total land
area of the UK.
- The
continuing rapid adoption of biotech crops reflects the
substantial improvements in productivity, the environment,
economics, health and social benefits realized by both
large and small farmers, consumers, and society in both
industrial and developing countries.
- During
the nine-year period 1996 to 2004, global area of biotech
crops increased more than 47 fold, from 1.7 million hectares
(4.2 million acres) in 1996 to 81.0 million hectares
(approx. 200 million acres) in 2004, with an increasing
proportion grown by developing countries. More than one-third
(34%) of the global biotech crop area of 81 million hectares
(200 million acres) in 2004, equivalent to 27.6 million
hectares (68 million acres), was grown in developing
countries where growth continued to be strong.
- The
increased hectarage/acreage and impact of the five principal
developing countries (China, India, Argentina, Brazil
and South Africa) growing biotech crops, is an important
trend with implications for the future adoption and acceptance
of biotech crops worldwide; Brief 32 has biotech overviews
for each of the five countries. In 2004, the number of
developing countries growing biotech crops (11) was almost
double the number of industrial countries (6) adopting
biotech crops.
- 2004
is the penultimate year of the first decade of the commercialization
of biotech crops, during which double-digit growth in
global hectarage of biotech crops has been achieved every
single year; this is an unwavering and resolute vote
of confidence in the technology from the 25 million farmers,
who are masters in risk aversion, and who have consistently
chosen to plant an increasing hectarage of biotech crops
year after year, during the period 1996 to 2004.
- The
10th anniversary in 2005, will be a just cause for celebration
worldwide by farmers, the international scientific and
development community, global society, and the peoples
in developing and industrial countries on all six continents
that have benefited significantly from the technology,
particularly the humanitarian contribution to the alleviation
of poverty, malnutrition and hunger in the countries
of Asia, Africa and Latin America.
- For
the future, there is cause for cautious optimism with
the global area and the number of farmers planting biotech
crops expected to continue to grow in 2005 and beyond.
There were signs of progress in the European Union in
2004 with the EU Commission approving, for import, two
events in biotech maize (Bt 11 and NK603) for food and
feed use, thus signaling the end of the 1998 moratorium.
The Commission also approved 17 maize varieties, with
insect resistance conferred by MON 810, making it the
first biotech crop to be approved for planting in all
25 EU countries. The use of MON 810 maize in conjunction
with practical co-existence policies opens up new opportunities
for EU member countries to benefit from the commercialization
of biotech maize, which Spain has successfully deployed
since 1998.
- In
the near term, the one single event that is likely to
have the greatest impact is the approval and adoption
of Bt rice in China, which is considered to be likely
in the near term, probably in 2005. The adoption of biotech
rice by China not only involves the most important food
crop in the world, but the culture of Asia as well. It
will provide the stimulus that will have a major impact
on the acceptance of biotech rice in Asia and, more generally,
on the acceptance of biotech food, feed and fiber crops
worldwide. Taking all factors into account, the outlook
for 2010 points to continued growth in the global hectarage
of biotech crops, up to 150 million hectares (375 million
acres), with about 15 million farmers growing biotech
crops in up to 30 countries.
Information
about ISAAA and the author
A
not-for-profit public charity, cosponsored by the
public and private sectors, working to alleviate
poverty in developing countries, by facilitating
the transfer and sharing of crop biotechnology
applications to increase crop productivity and
income generation, particularly for resource-poor
farmers, and to bring about a safer environment
and more sustainable agricultural development.
ISAAA is a small International Network with a global
hub in the Philippines and centers in Nairobi,
Kenya, and at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York,
USA. Clive James, chairman and founder of ISAAA,
has lived and worked for the past 25 years in the
developing countries of Asia, Latin America and
Africa, devoting his efforts to agricultural research
and development issues with a particular focus
on crop biotechnology and its contribution to global
food security.
Further
information about ISAAA can be obtained from its
website http://www.isaaa.org.
To order publications contact ISAAA’s Center
in SouthEast Asia: e-mail publications@isaaa.org.
For orders from industrial countries, ISAAA Briefs
are US$35 each, including postage, but are available
free of charge for nationals of developing countries.
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