Friday, December 29, 2000

Prime Sarmiento

The total global area tilled with genetically modified crops hit 44.2 million hectares in 2000, up 11% from 39.9 million hectares in 1999, the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications said Tuesday.

The ISAAA is an independent international agency that monitors the global use of biotech crops.

In a press statement, the ISAAA said farmers decided to plant more genetically modified rapeseed, corn, soybean and cotton because of ``more convenient and flexible crop management, higher productivity and safer environment through decreased use of conventional pesticides.``

In Europe, the U.S. and Asia, groups opposed to genetically modified crops say the use of such crops are harmful to consumers and the environment.

Clive James, chairman of ISAAA`s board of directors, said the expansion of area planted with genetically modified crops ``reflects the growing acceptance of transgenic crops by farmers using the technology in both industrial and developing countries.``

He added that most farmers decided to do this after evaluating the results of their first plantings.

``This speaks volumes for the confidence and trust farmers have placed in transgenic crops,`` he said.

ISAAA said that for the year 2000, four countries grew 99%, or 43.8 million hectares, of the global transgenic crops. The U.S. grew 30.3 million hectares of transgenic crops; Argentina, 10 million hectares; Canada, 3 million hectares; and China, 500,000 hectares.

Australia, Mexico and South Africa also have plantations devoted to transgenic cotton and corn.