Report Shows GM Corn Area Nearly Doubled in a Decade

The United States Department of Agriculture has released a new report on the adoption of herbicide tolerant and insect resistant crops since their introduction in 1996. According to the report, the percentage of genetically modified (GM) seed within the U.S. corn crop nearly doubled over the past 10 years, from less than half of the total planted corn acres in 2004 to 93 percent this year, up from 90 percent last year.

The report also revealed that farmers in the United States have widely adopted genetically modified crops because of the many benefits they provide. Genetically engineered (GE) soybeans, cotton, and corn are the preferred varieties of US farmers. The report's key findings include:

• GE soybean is 94 percent of soybean hectarage in the US in 2014 from 93 percent in 2013;
• GE corn is 93 percent of all corn planted in the US, up from 90 percent in 2013; and
• GE cotton is 96 percent of all cotton grown in the US, up from 90 percent in 2013.

The report, including recent trends and documentation, is available at: http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/adoption-of-genetically-engineered-crops-in-the-us.aspx#.U8x6HZSSySr.