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.