Biotech Updates

"Clive James Speaks" Highlights Growth of Biotech Crops

October 1, 2010

ISAAA's new biotech video "Clive James Speaks" articulates the staggering growth of biotech crops from 1.7 million hectares in 1996 to 134 million hectares in 2009 – the 80-fold increase in adoption of biotech crops. The video features a clear trend in the growth of biotech crops in favor of developing countries as compared to industrial countries. In 2009, some 16 of 25 biotech crop growing countries were developing countries from Asia, Africa and Latin America which planted almost as large an area of biotech crops as the 9 industrial biotech crop countries.

"Clive James Speaks" shares the success of biotech crops in the first decade of commercialization of biotech crops from 1996 to 2005 and elucidates the path of achieving a target of biotech crop adoption to 200 million hectares by 20 million farmers in 40 countries by 2015 – the second decade of commercializing biotech crops coinciding with the UN Millennium Developing Goals (MDG). In the same vein, the video also highlights the adoption, impact and future of biotech crops globally.

A high resolution downloadable video is available at http://www.isaaa.org/india Request a copy of the video from b.choudhary@cgiar.org and k.gaur@cgiar.org