1.30.2004
KeySpan To Maintain Aquarium Fuel Cell.Business Wires
BROOKLYN, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-
KeySpan (NYSE: KSE) has been selected to maintain and service the PC25C(TM) fuel cell power plant installed by the New York Power Authority at the New York Aquarium, in Coney Island, Brooklyn.
The PC25(TM) is a 200-kilowatt natural-gas-powered fuel cell manufactured by UTC Fuel Cells, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX). Two such PC25s provide electric power for the NASDAQ sign's home, the Durst Organization flagship at Four Times Square, also known as the Conde Nast building. The building is a 48-story office tower, located on Broadway between 42nd Street and 43rd Street, in Manhattan.
"Fuel cells are extremely reliable, efficient, and clean, and will play an increasingly large role in meeting America's energy needs," said Robert B. Catell, Chairman and CEO of KeySpan Corporation. "KeySpan is particularly well-positioned to take advantage of this growing market. KeySpan has compiled an impressive track record in maintaining and servicing PC25 fuel cells in the New York metropolitan area, and enjoys a terrific relationship with UTC, the principal manufacturer of commercial fuel cells in North America."
Full Text: Right Here, Right Now.
BROOKLYN, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-
KeySpan (NYSE: KSE) has been selected to maintain and service the PC25C(TM) fuel cell power plant installed by the New York Power Authority at the New York Aquarium, in Coney Island, Brooklyn.
The PC25(TM) is a 200-kilowatt natural-gas-powered fuel cell manufactured by UTC Fuel Cells, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX). Two such PC25s provide electric power for the NASDAQ sign's home, the Durst Organization flagship at Four Times Square, also known as the Conde Nast building. The building is a 48-story office tower, located on Broadway between 42nd Street and 43rd Street, in Manhattan.
"Fuel cells are extremely reliable, efficient, and clean, and will play an increasingly large role in meeting America's energy needs," said Robert B. Catell, Chairman and CEO of KeySpan Corporation. "KeySpan is particularly well-positioned to take advantage of this growing market. KeySpan has compiled an impressive track record in maintaining and servicing PC25 fuel cells in the New York metropolitan area, and enjoys a terrific relationship with UTC, the principal manufacturer of commercial fuel cells in North America."
Full Text: Right Here, Right Now.
Sustainable retail markets: Forestry companies must prove their wood is harvested to certain environ
Sustainable retail markets: Forestry companies must prove their wood is
harvested to certain environmental standards
The Gazette, 24 January 2004 -
Home Depot claims to be the world's largest home-improvement retailer.
So it's not surprising that environmental groups targeted the company,
demanding to know if wood in Home Depot's aisles came from responsibly
managed forests. "We were accused at some points of being the largest
destroyer of the world's forests," said Ron Jarvis, vice-president for
lumber merchandising for Atlanta-based Home Depot. The retailer had a
moment of reckoning in the late-1990s, when it realized it didn't know
where its wood was coming from, he said.
Two years after that, Home Depot adopted a purchasing policy aimed at
buying wood from sustainable forests.
With $58.2 billion U.S. in total sales in fiscal 2002, Home Depot
carries a lot of clout.
For forest companies worldwide, the pressure is on to provide proof
their wood is harvested to certain environmental standards.
Certification of those standards through outside audits is becoming an
inescapable cost of doing business in global markets. It is also
becoming an integral part of overall corporate image management.
Bruce McIntyre heads the sustainable solutions practice for Canada of
consulting and auditing firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
Aside from advising forestry companies on strategic issues, PWC
performs certification audits, although it doesn't do both for the same
companies.
"The real benefit (of certification) is market access, for example, as
a preferred supplier," McIntyre said. "More and more customers have
purchasing policies."
For publicly owned forestry companies though, making the expensive
investment in certification is a balancing act.
"Shareholder returns are important, so the question for management is
to balance the costs vs. the benefits," McIntyre said.
The choice of standard is equally loaded. Companies must pick a
standard that suits their operations from a technical point of view. But
since they are competing for the public's "environmental vote," as
McIntyre puts it, they must also pick a standard that is recognized and
effectively marketed.
There are several global forestry certification standards, but three
predominate in North America.
The CSA standard was developed by the Canadian Standards Association.
Its defining feature is public involvement in land-use questions. The
vast majority of harvesting in Canada takes place on public land. The
American Forest & Paper Association developed the SFI standard. Some
observers say it is most appropriate in the U.S., where most working
forests are privately owned.
The FSC standard was instituted by the Forest Stewardship Council, a
diverse global group made up of environmentalists, the timber trade,
labour groups, professional foresters and indigenous peoples. The FSC
standard puts a lot of emphasis on environmental and social issues.
There is overlap between the standards - most deal with biodiversity,
forest regeneration, soil and water quality and protection of wildlife.
In January 2002, the Forest Products Association of Canada announced
that its members, 30 of the country's largest producers of pulp, paper
and wood products, would have to adhere to one of the three standards by
the end of 2006. FPAC estimates that its members control about 75 per
cent of the managed forests in Canada.
Jean-Pierre Martel, vice-president for sustainability for FPAC, said
the cost of certification will be about $100 million over five years for
FPAC members. The cost of the initial and continuing audits account for
the smaller portion of the price tag, McIntyre said.
The bigger chunk consists of items like staff time and changing
marketing programs.
Martel agrees certification is being driven by environmental groups and
customers, from construction companies to retailers.
"About 80 per cent of production in Canada is exported, so
certification is a question of access to markets," said Martel.
FPAC plays up its member-companies' move to embrace certification, but
some countries, in particular Sweden, already certify most of their
forest practices, according to the World Wildlife Fund. Steven Price,
director of forests and trade for the Canadian branch of the World
Wildlife Fund, applauds FPAC's commitment to certification. FSC is not
the most widely used of the three standards in Canada in terms of area
(CSA ranks first, SFI second), but it is the fastest growing, according
to Price. And, for the WWF, the gold standard of certification is FSC.
The organization prefers FSC because a broad range of stakeholders sets
its standards, it has performance goals vs. merely process goals and it
emphasizes protecting forests, Price said.
While forestry companies have not been able to count on price premiums
for certified products, contrary to what had been predicted, Price sees
wide-ranging benefits to certification. Market share and avoiding
boycotts are just two. Other benefits include employee motivation. "Your
employees don't want to be seen as bad guys ruining the forest," Price
said.
With the rigorous FSC standard gaining ground and industry consulting
environmentalists, Price sees a turning point in the making. "The
forestry industry has a chance to take a huge step forward if they meet
these standards," he said
Thank you Lexis Nexus and WBCSD
harvested to certain environmental standards
The Gazette, 24 January 2004 -
Home Depot claims to be the world's largest home-improvement retailer.
So it's not surprising that environmental groups targeted the company,
demanding to know if wood in Home Depot's aisles came from responsibly
managed forests. "We were accused at some points of being the largest
destroyer of the world's forests," said Ron Jarvis, vice-president for
lumber merchandising for Atlanta-based Home Depot. The retailer had a
moment of reckoning in the late-1990s, when it realized it didn't know
where its wood was coming from, he said.
Two years after that, Home Depot adopted a purchasing policy aimed at
buying wood from sustainable forests.
With $58.2 billion U.S. in total sales in fiscal 2002, Home Depot
carries a lot of clout.
For forest companies worldwide, the pressure is on to provide proof
their wood is harvested to certain environmental standards.
Certification of those standards through outside audits is becoming an
inescapable cost of doing business in global markets. It is also
becoming an integral part of overall corporate image management.
Bruce McIntyre heads the sustainable solutions practice for Canada of
consulting and auditing firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
Aside from advising forestry companies on strategic issues, PWC
performs certification audits, although it doesn't do both for the same
companies.
"The real benefit (of certification) is market access, for example, as
a preferred supplier," McIntyre said. "More and more customers have
purchasing policies."
For publicly owned forestry companies though, making the expensive
investment in certification is a balancing act.
"Shareholder returns are important, so the question for management is
to balance the costs vs. the benefits," McIntyre said.
The choice of standard is equally loaded. Companies must pick a
standard that suits their operations from a technical point of view. But
since they are competing for the public's "environmental vote," as
McIntyre puts it, they must also pick a standard that is recognized and
effectively marketed.
There are several global forestry certification standards, but three
predominate in North America.
The CSA standard was developed by the Canadian Standards Association.
Its defining feature is public involvement in land-use questions. The
vast majority of harvesting in Canada takes place on public land. The
American Forest & Paper Association developed the SFI standard. Some
observers say it is most appropriate in the U.S., where most working
forests are privately owned.
The FSC standard was instituted by the Forest Stewardship Council, a
diverse global group made up of environmentalists, the timber trade,
labour groups, professional foresters and indigenous peoples. The FSC
standard puts a lot of emphasis on environmental and social issues.
There is overlap between the standards - most deal with biodiversity,
forest regeneration, soil and water quality and protection of wildlife.
In January 2002, the Forest Products Association of Canada announced
that its members, 30 of the country's largest producers of pulp, paper
and wood products, would have to adhere to one of the three standards by
the end of 2006. FPAC estimates that its members control about 75 per
cent of the managed forests in Canada.
Jean-Pierre Martel, vice-president for sustainability for FPAC, said
the cost of certification will be about $100 million over five years for
FPAC members. The cost of the initial and continuing audits account for
the smaller portion of the price tag, McIntyre said.
The bigger chunk consists of items like staff time and changing
marketing programs.
Martel agrees certification is being driven by environmental groups and
customers, from construction companies to retailers.
"About 80 per cent of production in Canada is exported, so
certification is a question of access to markets," said Martel.
FPAC plays up its member-companies' move to embrace certification, but
some countries, in particular Sweden, already certify most of their
forest practices, according to the World Wildlife Fund. Steven Price,
director of forests and trade for the Canadian branch of the World
Wildlife Fund, applauds FPAC's commitment to certification. FSC is not
the most widely used of the three standards in Canada in terms of area
(CSA ranks first, SFI second), but it is the fastest growing, according
to Price. And, for the WWF, the gold standard of certification is FSC.
The organization prefers FSC because a broad range of stakeholders sets
its standards, it has performance goals vs. merely process goals and it
emphasizes protecting forests, Price said.
While forestry companies have not been able to count on price premiums
for certified products, contrary to what had been predicted, Price sees
wide-ranging benefits to certification. Market share and avoiding
boycotts are just two. Other benefits include employee motivation. "Your
employees don't want to be seen as bad guys ruining the forest," Price
said.
With the rigorous FSC standard gaining ground and industry consulting
environmentalists, Price sees a turning point in the making. "The
forestry industry has a chance to take a huge step forward if they meet
these standards," he said
Thank you Lexis Nexus and WBCSD
Environment: Action Plan to Reconcile Green and Industrial Concerns
Environment: Action Plan to Reconcile Green and Industrial Concerns
European Report, 28 January 2004 - Boosting economic growth without
playing havoc with the environment is not a lost cause: one strategy is
to develop and promote greener technologies. This is the thrust of a
European Commission proposal to launch an Environmental Technologies
Action Plan (ETAP).
Due to be officially unveiled in a Commission Communication issued on
January 28, the 10-point plan is divided into three major categories.
The planned measures range from market research, to creating suitable
market conditions and acting on a global scale. The action plan is
expected to require a budget of some Euro 23.676 million over the
2004-2008 period: 1.58 million for DG Environment-related schemes and
22.096 million for those emanating from DG Research. It is scheduled to
be presented to the March 25/26 EU Summit in Brussels, as part of the
debate on meeting the Lisbon Strategy targets and the application of the
European Sustainable Development Strategy agreed on during the
Gothenburg Summit in Sweden in June 2001.
Environmental technologies include all technologies whose use is less
environmentally harmful than relevant alternatives. They encompass
technologies and processes to manage pollution (e.g. air pollution
control, waste management), less polluting and less resource-intensive
products and services and ways to manage resources more efficiently
(e.g. water supply, energy-saving technologies). Thus defined, they
pervade all economic activities and sectors, where they often cut costs
and improve competitiveness by reducing energy and resource consumption,
and so generate fewer emissions and less waste. This Environmental
Technologies Action Plan (ETAP) therefore aims to harness their full
potential to reduce pressures on our natural resources, improve the
quality of life of European citizens and stimulate economic growth. It
is based on the recognition that encouraging the choice of advanced
environmental technologies in all investment and purchasing decisions
will go some way towards realising this potential, thus widening their
market and reducing their cost.
EU's global responsibility.
The EU also shares responsibility for the global environment because,
just as the resources it uses are not limited to those from Europe, nor
are its negative environmental impacts. The European Commission stresses
how Europe has shown leadership in international policies for
sustainable development, such as the Kyoto Protocol and the ten-year
framework of programmes for sustainable production and consumption
established at the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development.
Well targeted, Europe's potential for innovation can help develop
technologies that other countries may need to develop their economies,
while reducing environmental degradation. Other countries are also
developing these technologies, says the Commission and maintaining EU
leadership will require increased effort but will, in turn, consolidate
its strong position to argue for serious efforts by other countries to
provide a continued drive for sustainable development.
thank you world buisness council for sustainable development (WBCSD) -
full story @
http://www.wbcsd.org/plugins/DocSearch/details.asp?type=DocDet&DocId=3802
European Report, 28 January 2004 - Boosting economic growth without
playing havoc with the environment is not a lost cause: one strategy is
to develop and promote greener technologies. This is the thrust of a
European Commission proposal to launch an Environmental Technologies
Action Plan (ETAP).
Due to be officially unveiled in a Commission Communication issued on
January 28, the 10-point plan is divided into three major categories.
The planned measures range from market research, to creating suitable
market conditions and acting on a global scale. The action plan is
expected to require a budget of some Euro 23.676 million over the
2004-2008 period: 1.58 million for DG Environment-related schemes and
22.096 million for those emanating from DG Research. It is scheduled to
be presented to the March 25/26 EU Summit in Brussels, as part of the
debate on meeting the Lisbon Strategy targets and the application of the
European Sustainable Development Strategy agreed on during the
Gothenburg Summit in Sweden in June 2001.
Environmental technologies include all technologies whose use is less
environmentally harmful than relevant alternatives. They encompass
technologies and processes to manage pollution (e.g. air pollution
control, waste management), less polluting and less resource-intensive
products and services and ways to manage resources more efficiently
(e.g. water supply, energy-saving technologies). Thus defined, they
pervade all economic activities and sectors, where they often cut costs
and improve competitiveness by reducing energy and resource consumption,
and so generate fewer emissions and less waste. This Environmental
Technologies Action Plan (ETAP) therefore aims to harness their full
potential to reduce pressures on our natural resources, improve the
quality of life of European citizens and stimulate economic growth. It
is based on the recognition that encouraging the choice of advanced
environmental technologies in all investment and purchasing decisions
will go some way towards realising this potential, thus widening their
market and reducing their cost.
EU's global responsibility.
The EU also shares responsibility for the global environment because,
just as the resources it uses are not limited to those from Europe, nor
are its negative environmental impacts. The European Commission stresses
how Europe has shown leadership in international policies for
sustainable development, such as the Kyoto Protocol and the ten-year
framework of programmes for sustainable production and consumption
established at the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development.
Well targeted, Europe's potential for innovation can help develop
technologies that other countries may need to develop their economies,
while reducing environmental degradation. Other countries are also
developing these technologies, says the Commission and maintaining EU
leadership will require increased effort but will, in turn, consolidate
its strong position to argue for serious efforts by other countries to
provide a continued drive for sustainable development.
thank you world buisness council for sustainable development (WBCSD) -
full story @
http://www.wbcsd.org/plugins/DocSearch/details.asp?type=DocDet&DocId=3802
1.22.2004
THE BIG APPLE OF OUR EYE
World Trade Center Reconstruction Will Set New Eco-Friendly Standard
Reconstruction of New York City's World Trade Center area -- site of
the 2001 terrorist attacks -- is set to make a green splash as one of
the largest eco-friendly building projects ever undertaken. Under
environmental guidelines expected to be released today for public
comment, new structures on the massive site (which will contain as
much commercial space as the city of Indianapolis) would have, among
other features, roofs that catch rainwater for use in toilets and in
efficient cooling systems. The guidelines would also encourage
builders to use renewable and recycled materials, recycle
construction wastes, and use cleaner fuels in construction equipment
and trucks. "We're talking about building an environmentally
sensitive city. That's never been done before," said Daniel Tishman,
chair of a construction company doing work at the site. Enviros in
the city plan to push for even higher standards than those laid out
in the guidelines.
straight to the source: The New York Times, Anthony DePalma, 20 Jan 2004
World Trade Center Reconstruction Will Set New Eco-Friendly Standard
Reconstruction of New York City's World Trade Center area -- site of
the 2001 terrorist attacks -- is set to make a green splash as one of
the largest eco-friendly building projects ever undertaken. Under
environmental guidelines expected to be released today for public
comment, new structures on the massive site (which will contain as
much commercial space as the city of Indianapolis) would have, among
other features, roofs that catch rainwater for use in toilets and in
efficient cooling systems. The guidelines would also encourage
builders to use renewable and recycled materials, recycle
construction wastes, and use cleaner fuels in construction equipment
and trucks. "We're talking about building an environmentally
sensitive city. That's never been done before," said Daniel Tishman,
chair of a construction company doing work at the site. Enviros in
the city plan to push for even higher standards than those laid out
in the guidelines.
straight to the source: The New York Times, Anthony DePalma, 20 Jan 2004
BUBBLICIOUS
Scientists Consider Funky Plans to Avert Climate Change
Plans to slow global warming once dismissed as, well, loopy need to
be taken seriously, concluded scientists at a conference on climate
change in Cambridge, U.K. The proposed schemes can be divided into
two families -- they aim either to capture greenhouse gases such as
carbon dioxide to prevent their buildup in the atmosphere, or to
shield the planet from solar radiation. The first category includes
plans to sprinkle the oceans with iron to absorb CO2 or bury
compressed CO2 underground. The second category -- which found more
favor with scientists -- includes more fanciful proposals such as
using thousands of bubble-making machines to create bigger, more
reflective clouds or (we kid you not) sending billions of tiny silver
balloons into the atmosphere to reflect the sun's light. When an
alien civilization reconstructs the events that led to humanity's
demise, we here at Grist hope that our balloon-bedecked planet
convinces them that, however short-sighted, we had a good sense of
humor.
straight to the source: The Boston Globe, Fred Pearce, 20 Jan 2004
Scientists Consider Funky Plans to Avert Climate Change
Plans to slow global warming once dismissed as, well, loopy need to
be taken seriously, concluded scientists at a conference on climate
change in Cambridge, U.K. The proposed schemes can be divided into
two families -- they aim either to capture greenhouse gases such as
carbon dioxide to prevent their buildup in the atmosphere, or to
shield the planet from solar radiation. The first category includes
plans to sprinkle the oceans with iron to absorb CO2 or bury
compressed CO2 underground. The second category -- which found more
favor with scientists -- includes more fanciful proposals such as
using thousands of bubble-making machines to create bigger, more
reflective clouds or (we kid you not) sending billions of tiny silver
balloons into the atmosphere to reflect the sun's light. When an
alien civilization reconstructs the events that led to humanity's
demise, we here at Grist hope that our balloon-bedecked planet
convinces them that, however short-sighted, we had a good sense of
humor.
straight to the source: The Boston Globe, Fred Pearce, 20 Jan 2004
THE BIG APPLE OF OUR EYE
World Trade Center Reconstruction Will Set New Eco-Friendly Standard
Reconstruction of New York City's World Trade Center area -- site of
the 2001 terrorist attacks -- is set to make a green splash as one of
the largest eco-friendly building projects ever undertaken. Under
environmental guidelines expected to be released today for public
comment, new structures on the massive site (which will contain as
much commercial space as the city of Indianapolis) would have, among
other features, roofs that catch rainwater for use in toilets and in
efficient cooling systems. The guidelines would also encourage
builders to use renewable and recycled materials, recycle
construction wastes, and use cleaner fuels in construction equipment
and trucks. "We're talking about building an environmentally
sensitive city. That's never been done before," said Daniel Tishman,
chair of a construction company doing work at the site. Enviros in
the city plan to push for even higher standards than those laid out
in the guidelines.
straight to the source: The New York Times, Anthony DePalma, 20 Jan 2004
only in Grist: The rebuilt World Trade Center complex could be a
model of sustainable building -- in Powers That Be
thank you grist!
World Trade Center Reconstruction Will Set New Eco-Friendly Standard
Reconstruction of New York City's World Trade Center area -- site of
the 2001 terrorist attacks -- is set to make a green splash as one of
the largest eco-friendly building projects ever undertaken. Under
environmental guidelines expected to be released today for public
comment, new structures on the massive site (which will contain as
much commercial space as the city of Indianapolis) would have, among
other features, roofs that catch rainwater for use in toilets and in
efficient cooling systems. The guidelines would also encourage
builders to use renewable and recycled materials, recycle
construction wastes, and use cleaner fuels in construction equipment
and trucks. "We're talking about building an environmentally
sensitive city. That's never been done before," said Daniel Tishman,
chair of a construction company doing work at the site. Enviros in
the city plan to push for even higher standards than those laid out
in the guidelines.
straight to the source: The New York Times, Anthony DePalma, 20 Jan 2004
only in Grist: The rebuilt World Trade Center complex could be a
model of sustainable building -- in Powers That Be
thank you grist!
1.14.2004
Genetically Engineered Crops Up 15 Percent
Wednesday, January 14, 2004Page A-2
Biotechnology
Genetically Engineered Crops Up 15 Percent;
China, South Africa Report Biggest Increases
A total of 167.2 million acres of genetically engineered crops were
planted around the world in 2003, an increase of roughly 15
percent from the year before, according to a report released Jan. 13 by
International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications.
Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, South Africa, and the United
States are the leading growers of the genetically engineered crops,
responsible for about 99 percent of the bioengineered crops grown around the
world, according to the report.
China and South Africa reported the largest increases in 2003,
with both nations planting one-third more hectares than in 2002, according
to the report. A hectare equals 2.47 acres.
In the United States, crop acreage devoted to genetically
modified crops increased 10 percent, "a result of significant gains in [the]
biotech corn area and continued growth in biotech soybeans," the report said.
About 63 percent of the world's bioengineered crops are raised in
the United States. A total of 105.7 million acres of genetically
modified soybeans, corn, and cotton were grown in the United States in
2003, the report said.
The ISAAA report said 2003 was the seventh consecutive year of
double-digit growth in the planting of such bioengineered crops
(12 DEN A-12, 01/17/03 ). The International Service for the Acquisition
of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) is an industry-funded effort
that works to bolster biotechnology in developing nations, with centers
based in the Philippines, Kenya, and the United States.
Soybeans Lead Other Crops
The report, Global Status of Commercialized Transgenic Crops:
2003, said the leading bioengineered crops worldwide are soybeans, which
increased nearly 13 percent to 102.2 million acres grown in 2003. Soybeans
were followed by genetically modified corn, which increased 25 percent
to a total of 38.3 million acres, and modified canola, which increased
20 percent for a total of 8.9 million acres.
Crops of bioengineered cotton increased 6 percent worldwide, for
a total of 9.7 million acres, the report said.
Genetically engineered versions of those crops still represent a
minorityof total crops grown worldwide, according to figures in the
report, with the exception of bioengineered soybeans, which now account for 55
percent of the global soybean crop. For corn, bioengineered versions
account for 11 percent of the global crop, while the modified canola
represents 16 percent of that global total.
The report predicts the global market value of genetically
engineered crops will increase from approximately $4.5 billion in 2004 to $5
billion or more by 2005.
The report is available at http://www.isaaa.org on the World Wide
Web.
Biotechnology
Genetically Engineered Crops Up 15 Percent;
China, South Africa Report Biggest Increases
A total of 167.2 million acres of genetically engineered crops were
planted around the world in 2003, an increase of roughly 15
percent from the year before, according to a report released Jan. 13 by
International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications.
Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, South Africa, and the United
States are the leading growers of the genetically engineered crops,
responsible for about 99 percent of the bioengineered crops grown around the
world, according to the report.
China and South Africa reported the largest increases in 2003,
with both nations planting one-third more hectares than in 2002, according
to the report. A hectare equals 2.47 acres.
In the United States, crop acreage devoted to genetically
modified crops increased 10 percent, "a result of significant gains in [the]
biotech corn area and continued growth in biotech soybeans," the report said.
About 63 percent of the world's bioengineered crops are raised in
the United States. A total of 105.7 million acres of genetically
modified soybeans, corn, and cotton were grown in the United States in
2003, the report said.
The ISAAA report said 2003 was the seventh consecutive year of
double-digit growth in the planting of such bioengineered crops
(12 DEN A-12, 01/17/03 ). The International Service for the Acquisition
of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) is an industry-funded effort
that works to bolster biotechnology in developing nations, with centers
based in the Philippines, Kenya, and the United States.
Soybeans Lead Other Crops
The report, Global Status of Commercialized Transgenic Crops:
2003, said the leading bioengineered crops worldwide are soybeans, which
increased nearly 13 percent to 102.2 million acres grown in 2003. Soybeans
were followed by genetically modified corn, which increased 25 percent
to a total of 38.3 million acres, and modified canola, which increased
20 percent for a total of 8.9 million acres.
Crops of bioengineered cotton increased 6 percent worldwide, for
a total of 9.7 million acres, the report said.
Genetically engineered versions of those crops still represent a
minorityof total crops grown worldwide, according to figures in the
report, with the exception of bioengineered soybeans, which now account for 55
percent of the global soybean crop. For corn, bioengineered versions
account for 11 percent of the global crop, while the modified canola
represents 16 percent of that global total.
The report predicts the global market value of genetically
engineered crops will increase from approximately $4.5 billion in 2004 to $5
billion or more by 2005.
The report is available at http://www.isaaa.org on the World Wide
Web.