Brussels, 23 February 2010 – Global adoption of plant biotechnology continues to grow, as the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA) announced that 14 million farmers in 25 countries grew biotech crops on 134 million hectares in 2009. This is a seven percent increase over 2008, and includes the adoption of biotech crops in one new country, Costa Rica. Increasingly, new biotech crops varieties are being developed locally and through public institutions, oftentimes through public-private partnerships that collaborate on technology and research to develop improved varieties that meet area needs.
“Farmers around the world are challenged with achieving food security for a growing population in the face of changing climate and pest pressures,” said Denise Dewar, Executive Director for Plant Biotechnology at CropLife International. “The continued increase in biotech crop acreage around the world is testament to the simple truth that farmers, when given the option, choose biotech crops because of the benefits they provide. In the future, we will see more biotech-improved varieties of important local crops, many of which are developed by public research institutions, as well as through public-private partnerships.”.
Several locally-developed varieties of biotech crops were approved in 2009 that hold tremendous potential for developing countries to gain food self-sufficiency:.
• China’s Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) issued biosafety clearances for two varieties of insect-resistant biotech rice – China’s first approval of a top food crop relied upon by over 50 percent of the population..
• China’s MOA also approved the commercial cultivation of one variety of biotech phytase corn, an animal feed that can improve meat production and reduce phosphate pollution caused by animal waste..
• A partnership in Brazil has developed a herbicide-tolerant biotech soybean that meets local growers’ specific needs..
“Over the last year, we have seen an increased commitment from governments around the world to support agricultural science and technology,” continued Dewar. “The growth in research funding is a testament to the fact that countries increasingly recognize the importance of investment in agriculture to address the rising concerns of food security.” Small-holder farmers in developing countries are essential to addressing food security and they continue to be the primary growers of biotech crops – in 2009, 90 percent of farmers growing biotech crops were located in the developing world (13 million farmers)..
Some examples of partnerships that could help feed millions of people include:.
• A multi-national team of private and public sector scientists is currently developing biotech bananas in Uganda with increased vitamin A, vitamin E, and iron content. Banana is a major food crop in Uganda, so successful research could dramatically improve the diets of millions of people..
• The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) is working on the Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) project, involving public and private partnerships. The WEMA partnership was formed in response to a growing call by African farmers, leaders, and scientists to address the effects of drought in a way that is cost-effective to African smallholder farmers. Drought is the primary constraint of African agriculture severely affecting maize, the continent’s most important staple food crop..
• The BioCassava Plus project is focused on improving the nutritional quality of cassava, the primary source of calories for over 250 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa..
• The Africa Biofortified Sorghum project is a public-private consortium that is developing a more nutritious and easily digestible sorghum that contains increased levels of amino acids, vitamins, iron and zinc. Sorghum is the fifth most important cereal crop and the main dietary staple for more than 500 million people..
“Biotech crops have immeasurable potential to support resource-poor farmers in developing countries as they become self-sufficient and farmer-entrepreneurs,” continued Dewar. “In a world faced with increasing food insecurity, mounting environmental pressures, and a clear need to preserve limited natural resources and biodiversity, it will be essential to bring all our efforts to bear — public and private — to continue to develop innovative technologies and farming solutions.”.
For yet another year, the overwhelming majority of farmers growing biotech crops resided in developing countries. In 2009, 46 percent of the global hectares of biotech crops were planted in 16 developing countries. The high adoption rate of plant biotechnology by some of the world’s neediest farmers reflects the significant benefits they receive by growing biotech-improved crops, such as increased income, improved crop quality and yield, and the ability to adopt sustainable farming practices..
CropLife International and its members are dedicated to furthering the acceptance of plant science technologies in 2010 and beyond, and continuing partnerships that provide farmers with broad access to innovations, as well as the knowledge and skills to make these new tools valuable on the farm.
