Biotech group sees GMO crop use still spreading

MANILA (Reuters) - The global area planted to genetically modified crops, nearly four times the size of the United Kingdom last year, is likely to show double-digit growth again this year, the coordinator of a group promoting biotechnology in developing countries said on Tuesday. Randy Hautea, global coordinator of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA), said the area planted to GMO crops rose 11 percent last year to 90 million hectares, despite fears raised by environmental groups. Greenpeace, which opposes the planting of GMO crops for fear of its impact on consumer health and the environment, said it doubted the ISAAA report on the extent of the area planted with GMO. "For 10 years, we have seen double-digit growth yearly," Hautea, whose group tracks planting and development of GMO crops, told reporters on the sidelines of a sugar forum in Manila. "That trend will continue," he added, without further explanation. Hautea, a Filipino, said areas planted with GMO soybeans are also increasing in Brazil while areas planted with GMO cotton are widening in India. Areas planted to GMO cotton in India last year nearly tripled to about 1.4 million hectares from half a million hectares in 2004, he said. The highest biotech expansion last year in terms of actual area was Brazil with 9.4 million hectares planted with GMO soybeans, nearly double the 5 million hectares in 2004, Hautea said. Pakistan is expected to start commercial planting of GMO cotton this year, he said. The global value of biotech crops was projected to rise to $5.5 billion in 2006 from $5.25 billion in 2005, Hautea said. GMO crops -- designed to be pest-resistant, give better yields or offer higher nutritional value -- accounted for 60 percent of global soybean area last year, 28 percent of cotton, 18 percent of canola and 14 percent of corn, he added. But Greenpeace expressed doubts on the accuracy and methodology of the ISAAA estimates. "We are asking governments to follow the precautionary principles in terms of allowing the commercialization of GMOs," Daniel Ocampo, genetic engineering campaigner of Greenpeace in Southeast Asia, said. There were 21 countries that planted GMO crops last year, with the United States accounting for more than half of the total at 49.8 million hectares, Hautea said. Argentina accounted for 17.1 million hectares, Canada for 5.8 million and China for 3.3 million.

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