2004 notches record growth for bt crops says US study

Our Economy Bureau
14 January 2005

New Delhi: Biotech crops experienced the second highest hectarage growth on record in 2004 to reach 81million hectares (200 million acres). According to a report released today, authored by Clive James chairman and founder of the ''international service for the acquisition of agri-biotech applications'' (ISAAA), global area for biotech crops grew 20 percent in 2004 — an increase of 13.3 million hectares (32.9 million acres).

Fondazione Bussolera Branca of Italy and The Rockefeller Foundation of the United States are the sponsors of the report,

According to an ISAAA press release, approximately 8.25 million farmers in 17 countries planted biotech crops in 2004 — 1.25 million more farmers than planted biotech crops in 18 countries in 2003. Notably, 90 per cent of these farmers were in developing countries. In fact, for the first time, the absolute growth in biotech crop area was higher in developing countries (7.2 million hectares) than in industrial countries (6.1 million hectares).

"The continued rapid adoption, especially among small, resource-poor farmers, is a testament to the economic, environmental, health and social benefits realised by farmers and society in both industrial and developing countries," says the author of the report. "Further, in 2004, we continued to see a broadening base of support for biotech crops as many of the countries participating in biotech crop production significantly increased biotech crop hectarage."

The number of "biotech mega-countries" (countries growing 50,000 hectares mor more biotech crops) increased from 10 to 14 in 2004 with the addition of Paraguay, Mexico, Spain and the Philippines reflecting the participation of a broader group of countries adopting biotech crops.

The number of countries accounting for the majority of the global total of biotech crop area grew from five to eight and included the United States (59 per cent of the global total), Argentina (20 per cent), Canada (6 per cent), Brazil (6 per cent), China (5 per cent), Paraguay (2 per cent), India (1 per cent) and South Africa (1 per cent). In addition to Mexico, Spain and the Philippines, Uruguay, Australia and Romania complete the mega-country list.