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Global area for GM crops grows by 8.4 million hactare in 2001:ISAAA

Arbind Gupta - Mumbai

A new study by Dr Clive James, chairman of ISAAA (International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications), confirms that in 2001, global area of transgenic or GM crops was 52.6 million hectares or 130 million acres, representing an increase of 8.4 million hectares or 20 million acres over 2000.

The principal GM crops were soybean (33 million hectares), corn (10 million), cotton, (7 million hectare) and canola (3 million). These GM crops were grown in 13 countries by about 5 million farmers, over 75 per cent of whom were small resource-poor farmers growing Bt cotton in developing countries. The study presents a global overview of the cotton crop, an assessment of the performance of Bt cotton to date, and its future global potential. The focus on developing countries is consistent with ISAAA’s mission to assist developing countries in assessing the potential of new technologies.

Of the global 33.5 million hectares (83 million acres) of cotton worth $ 20 billion, approximately 70 per cent are grown in developing countries. Asia has up to 60 per cent of world cotton, Africa up to 15 per cent with 5 per cent in Latin America. There are approximately 20 million cotton farmers globally, 97 per cent of whom farm in developing countries -- most are small resource-poor farmers growing two hectares or less of cotton.

Insect pests are a major problem in cotton and yield losses and insecticides cost cotton farmers $ 5 billion annually -- 20 per cent of global insecticides are used on cotton. Cotton farmers used $ 1.7 billion worth of insecticides in 2001. A novel and very effective method of controlling the major insect pests of cotton is through genetically-modified cotton with ‘Bt genes’ from a soil bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).

Since 1996, 13 million hectares of Bt cotton have been successfully deployed in nine countries, seven developing and two industrial. These include US, Mexico, Argentina, and Colombia (pre-commercial) in the Americas, China, India, Indonesia and Australia in Asia, and South Africa on the African continent. "Countries that introduced Bt cotton have derived significant and multiple benefits. These include increased yield, decreased production costs, a reduction of at least 50 per cent in insecticide applications, resulting in substantial environmental benefits to small producers, and significant economic and social benefits," said Dr James.

Yield increases for Bt cotton range from 5 to 10 per cent in China, 10 per cent or more in the US and Mexico, 25 per cent in South Africa. In the US in 2001, Bt cotton increased lint production on 2 million hectares by over 84,000 metric tonnes (MT) valued at $ 115 million. In China, seed cotton production on 1.5 million hectares of Bt cotton increased by 514,000 MT.

The major benefit has been a decrease of 50 per cent in the number of insecticide sprays per season, which in turn reduced insecticide residues that could potentially runoff into watersheds and aquifers -- a decrease of 14 sprays in China (from 28 to 14 sprays), 7 in South Africa, and two in the US. Global insecticide savings attributed to Bt cotton in 2001 were 10,500 MT of insecticide (active ingredient, a.i.), equivalent to 13 per cent of the 81,200 MT (a.i) of all cotton insecticides used globally in 2001. From a health perspective, cotton farmers in China and South Africa applying insecticides by hand with knapsacks, have significantly less potential exposure to insecticides when using Bt cotton.

The economic advantage of Bt cotton versus conventional cotton results from Bt cotton’s superior control of insect pests which results in higher yields, cost savings of 50 per cent on insecticide and labour, which are partially offset by the higher price of Bt cotton seed. In the US, in 2001 economic gain for Bt cotton was $ 50 per hectare $ 100 million nationally. In China, economic gain from Bt cotton was $ 500 per cent hectare with a national benefit of $ 750 million. In China, in 2001 over 4 million resource-poor cotton farmers as well as several thousand in the Makhathini Flats in South Africa derived significant economic benefits from Bt cotton, supporting the 2001 UNDP Human Development Report thesis that biotechnology can contribute to the alleviation of poverty.

Bt cotton significantly increases income and saves time, which is particularly valuable for small resource-poor Bt cotton farmers in developing countries. In China, the increased income allows poor farm families to spend more on food and increase nutritional standards. In South Africa, where 50 per cent of the cotton farmers are women, Bt cotton gives them more time to care for children, the sick, and/or generate additional income from other activities.

"It is important that a human face is put on the benefits of Bt cotton," said Dr James. For the average cotton holding of 1.7 hectares in the Makhathini Flats in South Africa, in a typical season, a woman farmer is relieved of 12 days of arduous spraying, saves over 1,000 litres of water (over 250 US gallons), walks 100 km less, has less potential exposure to insecticides, and increases her income by approximately $ 85 per season, through using Bt cotton, rather than conventional cotton.

Bt cotton occupies 4 million hectares today but has the potential to deliver significant benefits on at least half of the world’s 33.5 million hectare of cotton with medium to high insect pest levels. With optimal deployment of Bt cotton the projected annual insecticide saving is estimated at 33,000 MT (a.i), equivalent to 37 per cent of the 81,200 MT (a.i.) of cotton insecticides used globally in 2001.

To date, nine countries have adopted Bt cotton and are benefiting, but what about the 50 key countries that grow cotton throughout the world. The challenge is to provide the same opportunity for the potential beneficiary countries, with small to modest areas of cotton, in the developing world. Experience to date in several developing countries has clearly demonstrated that Bt cotton can deliver significant economic, environmental, and social benefits to millions of resource-poor farmers that are assigned high priority by the donor community.