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2002
GLOBAL GM CROP AREA CONTINUES TO GROW FOR THE SIXTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR
AT A SUSTAINED RATE OF MORE THAN 10%
The
Annual Global Review of Commercialized Transgenic (GM) Crops,
conducted by Dr Clive James, Chairman of the ISAAA Board of
Directors, features comprehensive information on transgenic crops
grown globally in 2002; the following are the highlights:
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The
estimated global area of transgenic or GM crops for 2002, is 58.7
million hectares (has.) or 145 million acres, grown by between 5.5
and 6.0 million farmers in sixteen countries - up from 5 million
farmers and thirteen countries in 2001. To put 58.7
million has. into context, it is more than 5% the total land area of
China or the US or almost two and half times the land area of the
United Kingdom.
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The
increase in area between 2001 and 2002 is 12%,
equivalent to 6.1 million has. or 15 million acres. A
sustained rate of annual growth of more than 10% per year has been
achieved every year for the last six years, since their introduction
in 1996.
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During
the seven-year period 1996 to 2002, global area of transgenic crops
increased 35-fold, from 1.7 million has. in 1996 to 58.7 million has.
in 2002. This ranks as one of
the highest adoption rates for crop technologies.
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An
increasing proportion of GM crops are grown in developing countries.
More than one quarter (27%) of
the global GM crop area of 58.7 million has. in 2002, equivalent to
16 million has., was grown in nine developing countries. India, the
largest cotton growing country in the world, commercialized Bt cotton
for the first time in 2002. Colombia (Bt cotton) and Honduras (Bt
corn) grew pre-commercial hectarage of GM crops for the first time.
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In
2002, four principal countries grew 99%
of the global transgenic crop area.
The USA grew 39.0 million has. (66% of global total), followed by
Argentina with 13.5 million has. (23%) despite the economic
situation, Canada 3.5 million has. (6%), and China 2.1 million has. (4%);
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China
had the highest year-on-year percentage growth with a 40%
increase in its Bt cotton area which occupied more than half (51%)
of the national cotton area of 4.1 million has. for the first time,
and benefited 5 million small resource-poor farmers.
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Globally,
the principal GM crops were GM soybean occupying 36.5 million has.
in 2001 (62% of global area), followed by GM corn at 12.4
million has. (21%), transgenic cotton at 6.8 million has. (12%),
and GM canola at 3 million has. (5%).
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During
the six-year period 1996 to 2002, herbicide tolerance has
consistently been the dominant trait with Bt insect resistance
second. In 2002, herbicide tolerance, deployed in soybean, corn and
cotton, occupied 75% or 44.2 million hectares of the global GM 58.7
million has., with 10.1 million has. (17%) planted to Bt crops, and
stacked genes for herbicide tolerance and insect resistance deployed
in both cotton and corn occupying 8% or 4.4 million has. of the
global transgenic area in 2002.
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The
two dominant GM crop/trait combinations in 2002 were: herbicide
tolerant soybean occupying 36.5 million has. or 62%
of the global total and grown in seven countries; and Bt maize,
occupying 7.6 million has., equivalent to 13% of global
transgenic area and also planted in seven countries - notably South
Africa grew 58,000 has. of Bt white maize for food in 2002 - up 10
fold from 2001; the other six GM crops occupied 5% or less
of global transgenic crop area.
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On
a global basis for the first time more than half, (51%) of
the 72 million has. of soybean grown worldwide were GM in 2002 - up
significantly from 46% in 2001; 20% of the global 34 million
has. of cotton were GM -the same as last year; of the 25 million has.
of canola GM canola increased from 11% to 12%; and of
the 140 million has. Of maize globally GM increased significantly
form 7% in 2001 to 9% in 2002. If the global
areas (conventional and transgenic) of these four principal GM crops
are aggregated, the total area is 271 million has., of which between
21and 22 % is GM, up substantially from 19% in 2001.
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In
the first seven years, 1996 to 2002, a cumulative total of over 235
million has. or over 580 million acres of GM crops were planted
globally and met the expectations of millions of large and small farmers.
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The
number of farmers that benefited from GM crops in 2002 was between
5.5 and 6 million - up from 5 million in 2001. More than
three-quarters of the farmers that benefited from GM crops in 2002
were resource-poor cotton farmers planting Bt cotton, mainly in China
and also in South Africa.
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In
2002 for the first time more than half of the world's population
lived in countries where GM crops are approved and grown. There is
cautious optimism that global area and the number of farmers planting
GM crops will continue to increase in 2003.
The
above are excerpts from "Global Status of Commercialized
Transgenic Crops: 2002", by Clive James, ISAAA Briefs No. 27:
Preview. For media inquiries please contact Tel +1-345-947-1839 from
9.00 A.M. to 5.00 P.M. EST, New York, USA. The publication and
further information can be obtained from ISAAA's Center in South East
Asia: e-mail publications@isaaa.org.
Cost of the publication, ISAAA Briefs No. 27, is $US 35.00 including
postage. The publication is available free of charge to nationals of
developing countries. |
