-
- The area planted with genetically engineered (GE) crops
worldwide jumped to 39.9 million hectares in 1999, an increase of 44%,
according to a new brief by the International Service for the Acquisition
of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA). The report, "Global Review of
Commercialized Transgenic Crops: 1999," details trends in GE crop
use.
-
- Today's 39.9 million hectares of GE crops is up more
than twenty fold from the 1.7 million hectares planted in 1996. The ISAAA
says this adoption rate is the highest for any new technology by agricultural
industry standards.
-
- Twelve countries grew GE crops in 1999. They are presented
in the following table.
-
- Global area of GE crops in 1999, by country (millions
of hectares)
-
- Country Area % of total Increase from
1998
- United States 28.7 72
8.2
- Argentina 6.7 17
2.4
- Canada 4.0 10
1.2
- China approx. 0.3 1
0.2
- Australia 0.1 <1
<0.1
- South Africa 0.1 <1
<0.1
- Mexico <0.1 <1
<0.1
- Spain <0.1 <1
<0.1
- France <0.1 <1
<0.1
- Portugal <0.1 <1
<0.1
- Rumania <0.1 <1
<0.1
- Ukraine <0.1 <1
<0.1
- TOTAL 39.9 100
12.1
-
- Three countries, Portugal, Rumania and Ukraine, planted
GE crops for the first time.
-
- Industrial countries accounted for 82% of the total,
less than in 1998 (84%), with 18% grown in developing countries (mostly
Argentina).
-
- As in 1998, the biggest GE growing countries had the
largest increases in 1999: the U.S. (8.2 million hectares), Argentina (2.4
million hectares), and Canada (1.2 million hectares).
-
- Seven GE crops were grown in 1999. There are presented
in the following table.
-
- Global area of GE crops in 1999, by crop (millions of
hectares)
-
- Country Area % of total Increase from
1998
- Soybean 21.6 54
7.1
- Corn/maize 11.1 28
2.8
- Cotton 3.7 9
1.2
- Canola/rapeseed 3.4 9
1.0
- Potato <0.1 <1
<0.1
- Squash <0.1 <1
<0.1
- Papaya <0.1 <1
<0.1
- TOTAL 39.9 100
12.1
-
- GE soybean and corn continued to be the biggest GE crops
in 1999. Cotton and canola shared the third ranking position in 1999, each
accounting for about 9% of global area.
-
- The principal GE traits were roughly the same in 1998
and 1999, with herbicide tolerance still the most common, at 71% in both
1998 and 1999. Although insect resistant (Bt) crops decreased from 28%
in 1998 to 22% in 1999, crops that are both insect resistant and herbicide
tolerant increased from 1% in 1998 to 7% in 1999. The remaining less than
1% was accounted for by virus resistance traits in potatoes, squash and
papaya in both 1998 and 1999.
-
- Looking at both crop and GE trait, 82% of all GE crops
in 1999 were accounted for by three GE varieties: Herbicide tolerant soybean
(54%), Bt corn (19%) and herbicide tolerant canola (9%).
-
- Revenues for GE crops have grown about thirty fold from
1995 to 1999. Sales were estimated at US$75 million in 1995, $235 million
in 1996, $670 million in 1997, $1.6 billion in 1998 and $2.1 to 2.3 billion
in 1999.
-
- ISAAA says that the area planted to GE crops is expected
to grow but will likely begin to level off in 2000 given high adoption
rates so far. There is also some uncertainty about whether U.S. growers
will be influenced by concerns about GE crops, with 2000 being considered
"an important test."
-
- ISAAA works to transfer biotechnology to developing countries.
A preview of their report is available online at http://www.isaaa.org/Global%20Review%201999//briefs12cj.htm.
-
- Source: ISAAA. 1999. Global Status of Commercialized
Transgenic Crops: 1999. ISAAA Briefs No.12: Preview. ISAAA: Ithica, NY.
_____
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- PANUPS is a weekly email news service providing resource
guides and reporting on pesticide issues that don't always get coverage
by the mainstream media. It's produced by Pesticide Action Network North
America, a non-profit and non-governmental organization working to advance
sustainable alternatives to pesticides worldwide.
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Visit our extensive web site at http://www.panna.org to learn more about
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