Green gene technology: Cultivation rises to 125 million hectares

(11 February 2009) The cultivation of genetically modified plants continues to increase worldwide. In 2008, GM crops rose by a figure of 9.4 per cent to occupy 125 million hectares. GM plants are employed in 25 countries, of which Bolivia, Burkina Faso and Egypt are the newest.

In all countries with large-scale cultivation, more GM plants were sown in 2008 than in the previous year. One half of the global area under cultivation may be found in the USA (63.5 mil. hectares), which is followed by Argentina (21.0), Brazil (15.8), India (7.6), Canada (7.6), Paraguay (2.7) and South Africa (1.8). These figures are taken from the yearly report by the agro-biotechnology agency ISAAA (International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications) on the cultivation of GM plants. The report was published on 11 February in Nairobi (Kenya).

With regard to the four culture types that have been in use in farming since 1996, the “gene technology acreage” has increased once again: in the case of soybean, the area occupied by GM varieties expanded to 65.8 mil. hectares (2007: 58.6), maize to 37.3 (35.2), cotton to 15.5 (15.0), and rapeseed to 5.9 (5.0). GM varieties represent 72 per cent of the global production of soybean and 47 per cent of cotton.

For the first time, the ISAAA report also identified areas used for genetically modified sugar beets, the cultivation of which is approved in the USA and Canada. In their second year of availability, herbicide-tolerant GM sugar beets already achieved a share of 57 per cent. They are being grown on almost 260,000 hectares.

GM papaya (USA, China), GM carnations (Australia, Colombia), GM alfalfa (lucerne) and GM squash (USA), as well as GM poplar (China), also were cultivated on smaller areas. The ISAAA report contained no more precise information thereon.

Three countries have included GM plants in their agriculture for the first time in 2008: Bolivia planted GM soybeans on 600,000 hectares, Burkina Faso GM cotton on 8,500 hectares and Egypt GM maize on 700 hectares.

In Europe, the commercial application of GM plants is comparatively insignificant. In seven EU countries, the crop area of Bt maize totals to slightly more than 100,000 hectares, approximately 80 per cent of which are in Spain.

See also on GMO-Compass:

• Global Acreage 2008
• Commercial GM Crops in the EU in 2008
• Breeding aims

Further information:

• ISAAA report 2008

• ISAAA International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications