Global status of commercialized biotech/GM crops in 2013(Part 1)

Date:02-18-2014

Biotech Crop hectares continue to grow and exceed 175 million hectares in 2013, with both large and small developing countries, exerting more global leadership.

Biotech crops increase in 2013 in their 18th consecutive year of commercialization.

A record 175.2 million hectares of biotech crops were grown globally in 2013, at an annual growth rate of 3%, up 5 million from 170 million hectares in 2012. This year, 2013, was the 18th year of commercialization, 1996-2013, when growth continued after a remarkable 17 consecutive years of increases; notably 12 of the 17 years were double-digit growth rates.

Biotech crops fastest adopted crop technology

The global hectarage of biotech crops have increased more than 100-fold from 1.7 million hectares in 1996 to over 175 million hectares in 2013 – this makes biotech crops the fastest adopted crop technology in recent history. This adoption rate speaks for itself in terms of its resilience and the benefits it delivers to farmers and consumers.

Millions of risk-averse farmers, both large and small, world-wide, have determined that the returns from planting  biotech crops are high, hence repeat planting is virtually 100% which is the acid-test applied by farmers for judging the performance of any technology.

In the 18 year period 1996 to 2013, millions of farmers in ~30 countries worldwide, adopted biotech crops at unprecedented rates. The most compelling and credible testimony to biotech crops is that during the 18 year period 1996 to 2013, millions of farmers in ~30 countries worldwide, elected to make more than 100 million independent decisions to plant and replant an accumulated hectarage of more than 1.6 billion hectares. This is an area equivalent to >150% the size of the total land mass of the US or China which is an enormous area. There is one principal and overwhelming reason that underpins the trust and confidence of risk-averse farmers in biotechnology – biotech crops deliver substantial, and sustainable, socio-economic and environmental benefits. The comprehensive EU 2011 study conducted in Europe, confirmed that biotech crops are safe.

27 countries grow biotech crops in 2013

Of the 27 countries which planted biotech crops in 2013 (Table 1 and Figure 1), 19 were developing and 8 were industrial countries. Each of the top 10 countries, of which 8 were developing grew more than 1 million hectares providing a broad-based worldwide foundation for continued and diversified growth in the future. More than half the world’s population, 60% or ~4 billion people, live in the 27 countries planting biotech crops.


Bangladesh approved a biotech crop for planting for the first time, whilst the situation in Egypt put planting on-hold pending review.

Bangladesh approved a biotech crop (Bt eggplant) for planting for the first time in 2013, whilst the situation in Egypt put planting on-hold, pending a Government review. The approval by Bangladesh is important in that it serves as an exemplary model for other small poor countries. Also, very importantly, Bangladesh has broken the impasse experienced in trying to gain approval to commercialize Bt eggplant in both India and the Philippines. It is noteworthy that two other developing countries, Panama and Indonesia, also approved cultivation of biotech crops in 2013 for commercialization in 2014.

18 million farmers benefit from biotech crops – 90% were small resource-poor farmers.

In 2013, a record 18 million farmers, compared with 17.3 million in 2012, grew biotech crops – remarkably, over 90%, or >16.5 million, were risk-averse small, poor farmers in developing countries. In China, 7.5 million small farmers benefited from biotech cotton and in India there were 7.3 million beneficiary farmers. The latest economic data available for the period 1996 to 2012 indicates that farmers in China gained US$15.3 billion and in India US$14.6 billion. In addition to economic gains, farmers benefited enormously from at least a 50% reduction in the number of insecticide applications, thereby reducing farmer exposure to insecticides, and importantly contributed to a more sustainable environment and better quality of life.

For the second consecutive year developing countries planted more biotech crops than industrial countries in 2013.

Latin American, Asian and African farmers collectively grew 94 million hectares or 54% of the global 175 million biotech hectares (versus 52% in 2012) compared with industrial countries at  81 million hectares or 46% (versus 48%  in 2012), thereby almost doubling the hectare gap from ~7 to ~14 million hectares between 2012 to 2013, respectively. This trend is expected to continue. This is contrary to the prediction of critics who, prior to the commercialization of the technology in 1996, prematurely declared that biotech crops were only for industrial countries and would never be accepted and adopted by developing countries, particularly small poor farmers.

During the period 1996-2012 cumulative economic benefits in industrial countries were at US$59 billion compared to US$57.9 billion generated by developing countries. Moreover in 2012, developing countries had a lower share, 45.9% equivalent to US$8.6 billion of the total US$18.7 billion gain, with industrial countries at US$10.1 billion .


Stacked traits occupied 27% of the global 175 million hectares.

Stacked traits continued to be an important and growing feature of biotech crops. 13 countries planted biotech crops with two or more traits in 2013, of which 10 were developing countries. About 47 million hectares equivalent to 27% of the 175 million hectares were stacked in 2013, up from 43.7 million hectares or 26% of the 170 million hectares in 2012; this steady and growing trend of more stacked traits is expected to continue.

The 5 lead biotech developing countries on the three continents of the South: Brazil and Argentina in Latin America, India and China in Asia, and South Africa on the continent of Africa, grew 47% of global biotech crops and have ~41% of world population.

The five lead developing countries in biotech crops in the three continents of the South are China and India in Asia, Brazil and Argentina in Latin America, and South Africa on the continent of Africa. They collectively grew 82.7 million hectares (47% of global) and together represent ~41% of the global population of 7 billion, which could reach 10.1 billion by the turn of the century in 2100. Remarkably, population in sub Saharan African alone could escalate from ~1 billion today (~15% of global) to a possible high of 3.6 billion (~35% of global) by the end of this century in 2100. Global food security, exacerbated by high and unaffordable food prices, is a formidable challenge to which biotech crops can contribute but are not a panacea.

Brazil, continues to be the engine of biotech crop growth globally.

Brazil ranks second only to the USA in biotech crop hectarage in the world with 40.3 million hectares (up from 36.6 million in 2012) and is emerging as a strong global leader in biotech crops. For the fifth consecutive year, Brazil was the engine of growth globally in 2013, increasing its hectarage of biotech crops more than any other country in the world – a record 3.7 million hectare increase, equivalent to an impressive year-over-year increase of 10%. Brazil grew 23% (up from 21% in 2012) of the global hectarage of 175 million hectares and is consolidating its position by consistently closing the gap with the US. An efficient and science based approval system in Brazil facilitates fast adoption. In 2013, in an important event, Brazil commercially planted its first stacked soybean with insect resistance and herbicide tolerance on 2.2 million hectares. Notably, EMBRAPA, Brazil’s agricultural R&D organization, with an annual budget of US$1 billion, has gained approval to commercialize its home-grown biotech virus resistant bean, planned for 2015.

USA maintains leadership role.

The US continued to be the lead producer of biotech crops globally with 70.1 million hectares (40% of global), with an average adoption rate of ~90% across its principal biotech crops. Canada grew 10.8 million hectares of biotech crops in 2013, down from 11.6 million hectares in 2012, as farmers planted ~800,000 hectares less canola and accommodated more wheat in the rotation, which is a sound practice. Biotech canola in Canada still enjoyed a high adoption rate of 96% in 2013. Australia also posted a decrease due to shortage of water, of approximately 100,000 hectares but adoption remained at a high of 99%.

India and China grow more Bt cotton. 

India cultivated a record 11.0 million hectares of Bt cotton with an adoption rate of 95%, whilst 7.5 million small resource poor farmers in China grew 4.2 million hectares of Bt cotton with an adoption rate of 90%, cultivating on average, ~0.5 hectare per farm.

Progress in Africa

Africa continued to make progress with Burkina Faso and Sudan increasing their Bt cotton hectarage substantially, and South Africa with its biotech hectarage at marginally less but practically the same level as 2012 (2.85 million hectares rounded off to 2.9). Burkina Faso increased its Bt cotton hectares by over 50% from 313,781 hectares to 474,229. Sudan, in its second year of commercialization tripled its Bt cotton from 20,000 hectares in 2012 to 62,000 in 2013. Encouragingly an additional seven African countries (listed alphabetically they are Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria and Uganda) have conducted field trials on a broad range (cotton and maize to bananas and cowpeas) of “new” biotech crops, including several orphan crops such as sweet potato. The WEMA project is expected to deliver its first biotech drought tolerant maize in Africa as early as 2017.

Five EU countries planted a record 148,013 hectares of biotech Bt maize, up 15% from 2012. Spain was by far the largest adopter planting 94% of the total Bt maize hectarage in the EU.

Five EU countries, same number as last year, planted a record 148,013 hectares of Bt maize, up 18,942 hectares or 15% from 2012. Spain led the EU with a record 136,962 hectares of Bt maize, up 18%. Portugal was lower by approximately 1,000 hectares due to a seed shortage, and Romania was the same as 2012. The other countries, Czechia and Slovakia, planted lower and small hectarages attributed to onerous and over-demanding EU reporting procedures for farmers.


To be continued......