ISAAA Releases Annual Global Status Report of Biotech Crops

In 2006, the first year of the second decade of commercialization of biotech crops (2006-2015) the global area of biotech crops continued to climb for the tenth consecutive year, at a sustained double-digit growth rate of 13% or 30 million acres per year, reaching 252 million acres.

That’s according to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA), a non-profit organization whose mission is directed toward advancing the benefits of agricultural biotechnologies to developing countries.

The U.S. continues to drive growth in North America and globally, accounting for the greatest absolute acreage increase in 2006, with the addition of about 11.8 million acres. Brazil leads growth in South America with an increase of 22%  for a total of 28.4 million acres, mostly soybeans and biotech cotton, the latter commercialized in Brazil for the first time in 2006.

India is emerging as a key leader in the adoption of biotech crops, according to the ISAAA. The country tallied the most substantial percentage increase at 192% or 6.17 million acres to 9.38 million acres, jumping two spots in the world ranking to become the fifth largest producer of biotech crops in the world, surpassing China for the first time.

According to the ISAAA, South Africa made significant strides in the past year to lead the African continent forward by almost tripling its biotech crop area. Notably, the gain came from Bt white maize, primarily used for food, and Bt yellow maize used for livestock feed.

Growth also continues in the countries of the EU, where Slovakia became the sixth EU country out of 25 to plant biotech crops. Spain continues to lead the continent, planting 148,000 acres in 2006; however, the other five EU countries reported a five-fold increase in plantings from 3,700 acres in 2005 to about 21,000 acres in 2006.

Future Growth: Biofuels, Rice, Drought Tolerance

ISAAA predicts growth to continue in the second decade of commercialization.

“The commercialization of biotech rice alone could drive adoption of biotech crops well beyond the conservative estimate of 20 million farmers up to 80 million farmers,” says Clive James, chairman and founder of ISAAA and author of the report.

This estimate is based on an adoption rate of one third by the world’s 250 million rice farmers, most of whom are small resource-poor farmers, 90% of whom are in Asia. Biotech rice with insect resistance to enhance yields could make a substantial impact on the UN Millennium Development goal of reducing poverty by half by 2015, says James, and golden rice with enhanced vitamin A could improve nutrition significantly. 

Biofuels will also be a major growth driver. Biotech crops will be used to increase the efficiency and meet added demand for alternative energy, as well as exploring biotech options to bring cellulose-based ethanol from energy crops to market.

Another driver will be biotech crops with drought-tolerant traits, expected to reach the market within the next five years, unlocking substantial production opportunities in drier climates, while increasing yield potential and decreasing irrigation needs (thus conserving water) in other areas.

While the Americas led the first decade of biotech crop adoption, James predicts that the second decade will likely feature significant growth in Asia and its developing countries of India, China and the Philippines, as well as new biotech countries like Pakistan and Vietnam.

In Africa, the experiences of South Africa will likely lead other countries to begin planting biotech crops, including Egypt, Burkina Faso and Kenya where promising field trials have already been conducted. Finally, the consistent global increase in adoption of biotech crops will likely prove to be a trend that merits increased recognition by the EU. France, as a leading member state, is a key example, increasing its area of Bt maize multi-fold to about 12,000 acres in 2006.

“As we look into the future at the second decade of commercialization, many factors are poised to drive substantial growth of biotech crops well beyond the early adopters,” says James.  “It is in this decade that biotech crops can make a significant contribution and impact on the world’s 1.3 billion poor.”

While 22 countries planted commercialized biotech crops in 2006, an additional 29 countries, totaling 51, have granted regulatory approvals for biotech crops for import for food and feed use and for release into the environment since 1996. A total of 539 approvals have been granted for 107 events for 21 crops. Thus, biotech crops are accepted for import for food and feed use and for release into the environment in 29 countries, including major food importing countries like Japan, which do not plant biotech crops.

Of the 51 countries that have granted approvals for biotech crops, the U.S. tops the list followed by Japan, Canada, South Korea, Australia, the Philippines, Mexico, New Zealand, the European Union and China. Maize has the most events approved (35) followed by cotton (19), canola (14), and soybean (7).

Adherence to good farming practices with biotech crops, such as rotations and resistance management, will remain critical as it has been during the first decade, the ISAAA notes. Continued responsible stewardship must be practiced, particularly by the countries of the South, which will be the major new deployers of biotech crops in the second decade of commercialization of biotech crops, 2006 to 2015.

The complete report can be found online: www.isaaa.org.