Biotech crops make inroads in developing economies and EU

WASHINGTON - Developing countries adopted genetically-modified crops at four times the rate of advanced economies in the last decade, in a sign that the spread of biotechnology in agriculture is helping alleviate poverty around the world, according to the non-profit International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications. The findings were seized upon by the agricultural biotechnology industry as evidence that controversy over the science of genetically-modified (GM) crops had proved no barrier to the acceptance of crops like insect-resistant maize and soyabeans among poor farmers worldwide. But they also drew fire from environmental lobby groups. Friends of the Earth said that since the first significant planting of GM crops, “no plants with benefits to consumers or the environment have materialised, despite renewed promises by biotech corporations”. Clive James, chairman of the ISAAA’s board of directors, said farmers had adopted “biotech crops” at a double digit rate every year since the first commercial strains were put on the market in 1996. The area of agricultural land planted with such crops rose to 222m acres in 21 countries last year, from 4.2m acres in 1996. About 8.5m farmers planted biotech crops last year. Dr James said: “From a decade of experience we now have compelling evidence which is a direct counter to those who said it [GM crops] would have no value and would not be adopted. In fact the case is exactly the opposite.” The ISAAA study was sponsored by The Rockefeller Foundation and Italy’s Fondazione Bussolera Branca. In Europe, where resistance to GM foods among consumers has restricted the ability of agricultural biotech companies to sell GM seeds, the ISAAA said it was optimistic that there would be “increased adoption” in the wake of decisions by five European Union countries – Spain, Portugal, Germany, France and the Czech Republic - to plant crops such as insect-resistant BT maize. Michael Leader, manager of international regulatory policy at CropLife International, a Brussels-based biotech trade association, said: “The fact that more countries are planting them means they believe there is potential to have a market. We’ve always been saying this technology can reduce the need for inputs.” Dr James said acceptance of such crops in countries awaiting accession to the EU – such as Romania and Bulgaria – could spur wider acceptance among EU member states. Dr James also said global acceptance of GM crops would increasingly be driven by “very significant” investment of public funds into biotechnology by India and China, where 10 per cent of all its cultivable land was planted with GM crops last year. "Source":[ http://www.checkbiotech.org/root/index.cfm?fuseaction=news&doc_id=12013&start=11&control=142&page_start=1&page_nr=101&pg=1]

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