Eggplant and Potato Approvals Address
Consumer Concerns
In 2014, a record 181.5 million hectares of biotech crops were
grown globally, an increase of more than six million hectares from
2013, according to a report released today by the International
Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA).
With the addition of Bangladesh, a total of 28 countries grew
biotech crops during the year. The 20 developing and eight
industrial countries where biotech crops are produced represent
more than 60 percent of the world’s population.
“The accumulated hectarage of biotech crops grown in 1996 to
2014 equals, roughly, 80 percent more than the total land mass of
China,” said Clive James, ISAAA Founder and report author. “Global
hectarage has increased more than 100-fold since the first
plantings of biotech crops.”
Since 1996, more than 10 food and fiber biotech crops have been
approved and commercialized around the world. These range from
major commodities such as maize, soybean and cotton, to fruits and
vegetables like papaya, eggplant and, most recently, potato. The
traits of these crops address common issues affecting crop benefits
to the consumer and production rates for farmers, including drought
tolerance, insect and disease resistance, herbicide tolerance and
increased nutrition and food quality. Biotech crops contribute to
more sustainable crop production systems and provide resilient
responses to the challenges of climate change.
According to the report, the United States continues to lead
production at 73.1 million hectares. Up 3 million hectares – a
growth rate of 4 percent – from 2013, the United States recorded
the highest year-over-year increase, surpassing Brazil, which has
recorded the highest annual increase for the past five years.
The report also highlighted key benefits of biotechnology,
including alleviation of poverty and hunger by boosting the income
of risk-averse small, resource-poor farmers around the world.
Latest global provisional information for the period 1996 to 2013
shows that biotech crops increased production valued at US$133
billion; in the period 1996 to 2012 pesticide use decreased
significantly saving approximately 500 million kg of active
ingredient. In 2013 alone, crop plantings lowered carbon dioxide
emissions equivalent to removing 12.4 million cars from the road
for one year.
These findings are consistent with a rigorous meta-analysis,
conducted by German economists, Klumper and Qaim (2014), which
concluded that GM technology has, on average, reduced chemical
pesticide use 37 percent, increased crop yields 22 percent, and
increased farmer profits 68 percent during the 20 year period of
1995 to 2014.
Bangladesh: a model for success
One of the smallest and poverty-stricken countries in the world,
Bangladesh approved Bt brinjal/eggplant in October 2013. Less than
100 days post-approval commercialization began in January 2014 when
120 farmers planted 12 hectares of the crop throughout the year. Bt
brinjal/eggplant not only brings financial opportunity to poor
farmers in the country, but also drastically decreases farmer
exposure to pesticides on the food crop by 70 to 90 percent.
“The timely approval and commercialization of Bt brinjal in
Bangladesh speaks to the power of political will and support from
the government,” said James. “This lays the foundation as a model
of success for other small, poor countries to quickly introduce the
benefits of biotech crops.”
The case of Bangladesh in 2014 reconfirms the value and success
of public-private partnerships. The Bt biotech trait for brinjal –
one of the most nutritious and important vegetables in Bangladesh –
was donated by Mahyco, an Indian company.
“Public-private partnerships continue to increase the
probability of timely delivery of approved biotech crops at the
farm level,” James said. “They will remain essential in the years
to come.”
The Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) Project is another
example of a public-private partnership at work. Beginning in 2017,
select African countries are scheduled to receive the first biotech
drought tolerant maize, a food staple depended on by more than 300
million poor Africans. The donated biotechnology trait is the same
as the DroughtGard™ variety used in the United States, which
increased 5.5-fold in planted hectares from 2013 to 2014. This
demonstrates strong farmer acceptance of the biotech drought
tolerant maize.
New approvals address consumer concerns
In the United States, approval of the Innate™ potato was granted
in November 2014. The Innate potato decreases production of
acrylamide, a potential carcinogen, when potatoes are cooked at
high temperatures. Furthermore, it increases consumer satisfaction
while precluding up to 40 percent yield loss as the potato will not
discolor when peeled and has fewer bruising spots. These attributes
will have meaningful impact on food security as food waste
continues as an important factor in the discussion of feeding 9.6
billion people in 2050 and approximately 11 billion in 2100.
Potatoes represent the fourth most important food staple in the
world. As such, a continuous effort is being made to improve the
potato and combat losses due to diseases, insects and weeds, and
other constraints.
Biotech-based control of the fungal disease late-blight, the
most important disease of potatoes in the world, is already being
field-tested in Bangladesh, India and Indonesia. Late-blight caused
the 1845 Irish famine, which resulted in 1 million deaths. Biotech
control of virus diseases and the Colorado beetle, the most
important insect pest, are already available, but not deployed.
Status of biotech crops in Asia
In Asia, China and India continue to lead developing countries
growing biotech crops at 3.9 million hectares and 11.6 million
hectares planted in 2014, respectively.
The adoption rate of biotech cotton in China increased from 90
to 93 percent in 2014, while virus resistant papaya plantings
increased approximately 50 percent. More than 7 million small
farmers in the country continue to benefit from biotech crops and
the latest economic data available indicates farmers in the country
have gained US$16.2 billion since the introduction of biotech in
1996.
According to the report, India cultivated a record 11.6 million
hectares of Bt cotton with an adoption rate of 95 percent. British
economists Brookes and Barfoot estimate that India enhanced farm
income from Bt cotton by US$ 2.1 billion in 2013 alone.
Developing countries Vietnam and Indonesia granted approval for
commercialization of biotech crops to begin in 2015. This includes
several hybrids of biotech maize for importing and planting in
Vietnam and drought tolerant sugarcane for planting as a food crop
in Indonesia.
Growth continues in Africa and Latin America
Having cultivated 2.7 million hectares in 2014, South Africa
ranks as the leading developing country to grow biotech crops in
Africa. Sudan increased Bt cotton hectarage by approximately 50
percent in 2014 and several African countries including Cameroon,
Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria and Uganda conducted field
trials on several pro-poor crops including the food crops rice,
maize, wheat, sorghum, bananas, cassava and sweet potato. These
crops can contribute to resilience and sustainability in the face
of new climate change challenges.
In Latin America, Brazil ranked second, behind only the United
States, for biotech crops planted in 2014. At 42.2 million
hectares, this represents an increase of 5 percent from 2013.
Biotech crops impact food security, sustainability and the
environment
From 1996 to 2013, biotech crops have increased crop production
valued provisionally at $US133 billion; helped alleviate poverty
for more than 16.5 million small farmers and their families – more
than 65 million people, collectively – some of the poorest people
in the world; and decreased the environmental impact of food and
fiber production by reducing pesticide use, increasing land savings
and reducing CO2 emissions.
According to Brooks and Barfoot, had the additional 441 million
tons of food, feed and fiber produced by biotech crops from 1996 to
2013 not been produced, an additional 132 million hectares of
conventional crops would have been required to produce the same
tonnage. This required increase in hectares could have negative
implications for biodiversity and the environment due to an
increased need for cultivated acres.
By the numbers
- United States continued as the lead
country with 73.1 million hectares, a year-to-year increase of 4
percent, equal to 3 million hectares.
- Brazil ranked second for the sixth
consecutive year, increasing its hectarage by 1.9 million hectares
from 2013.
- Argentina retained third place with
24.3 million hectares.
- India and Canada both recorded 11.6
million hectares. India had an adoption rate of 95 percent for
biotech cotton. Canola and soybean hectares increased significantly
in Canada.
For more information or the executive summary, visit
www.isaaa.org.
About ISAAA:
The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech
Applications (ISAAA) is a not-for-profit organization with an
international network of centers designed to contribute to the
alleviation of hunger and poverty by sharing knowledge and crop
biotechnology applications. Clive James, Emeritus Chairman and
Founder of ISAAA, has lived and/or worked for the past 30 years in
the developing countries of Asia, Latin America and Africa,
devoting his efforts to agricultural research and development
issues with a focus on crop biotechnology and global food
security.
ISAAAMollie Lastovica,
713-513-9524mollie.lastovica@fleishman.com