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Environment

World planting of biotech crops is increasing

January 23, 2006 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 84, Issue 4

Acreage planted with genetically engineered crops continued its rapid growth last year, increasing 11% from 2004. A report by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) states that the global area devoted to growing biotech crops soared more than 50-fold from 4.2 million acres in 1996 to 222 million acres in 2005. The number of countries planting biotech crops increased from 17 in 2004 to 21 in 2005. "The continued expansion of countries growing biotech crops bears witness to the substantial economical, environmental, and social benefits associated with these crops," says ISAAA Chairman Clive James. Despite the European Union's historic opposition to biotech crops, five EU members (Spain, Germany, Portugal, France, and the Czech Republic) now grow gene-altered corn. The biotech crop market is largely devoted to cotton, corn, soy, and canola. Conventional varieties of rice still dominate the market, but that may be about to change, says James. Iran grew gene-altered rice on almost 10,000 acres last year, and China seems likely to commercialize it soon.

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