Facts and Terms from "Poorer Nations Turn to Publicly Developed Crops" Nature Biotechnology, January 2005, by Joel Cohen, IFPRI Senior Research Fellow (unless other sources cited)
Available Factsheets
Genetically Modified (GM) Crops: What is being grown, where, and by whom?
- In the 15 countries studied, the public sector undertook GM research for 45 different crops. To date, the crops with the most modifications are rice, potatoes, maize, and papaya.
- Much of the research focuses on crop improvements to benefit poor farmers and consumers, including:
Reduced need for conventional pesticides and other agrochemicals
Disease resistance
Increased tolerance to drought and saline soils
Prolonged shelf life and other enhanced product characteristics
Improved nutritional value
- Eight-five percent of the genetic materials used in this research are derived locally from public materials.
- Asian countries have GM products in all stages of the research pipeline. Despite this robust development, only the Philippines has approved a commercial feed crop (maize) for production. China has permitted cultivation and use of publicly developed transgenic cotton, and Korea has approved insect resistant maize and herbicide tolerant soybeans. (Global Status of Approved Genetically Modified Plants, AGBIOS website, 2003).
- Sub-Saharan Africa, with the exception of South Africa, lacks many capabilities and resources to advance public GM research. Kenya and Egypt have demonstrated competence in regulatory and import approval decision making, but have still not approved any crop for open testing or commercial use.
- The first biotechnology-based agri-food product entered the market in 1994. By 2001, more than 50 modifications involving 13 crops had been approved and produced on more than 52 million hectares in at least 14 countries. (Phillips, Peter W.B. 2003. Policy, National Regulation, and International Standards for GM Foods. Biotechnology and Genetic Resource Policies Brief 1. IFPRI).
- In 2003, the United States, Argentina, Canada, Brazil, and China accounted for 99 percent of the 67.7 million hectares under biotech crop cultivation worldwide. Of this production, 99 percent concentrated on just four crops (soybean, maize, cotton, and canola), and were developed to tolerate herbicides and/or resist insects. (Clive, James. 2003, Preview: Global Status of Commercialized Transgenic Crops. ISAAA)
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