High Adoption of Biotech Crops Recorded in 2016
In 2016, the global area of biotech crops reached 185.1 million hectares, according to a research paper authored by Drs. Rhodora Aldemita and Randy Hautea of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA). The results of their study are published on February 2, 2018 in GM Crops and Food.
According to the paper, 26 countries planted biotech crops in 2016, and 19 of which were developing countries. Biotech crop plantings increased in several countries, including Brazil, United States of America, Canada, South Africa, Australia, Bolivia, Philippines, Spain, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Colombia, Honduras, Chile, Sudan, Slovakia, and Costa Rica. Decreased plantings of biotech crops were reported in China, India, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Mexico, Portugal, and Czech Republic. The significant changes in biotech crop area (increase and decrease) are attributed to several factors such as acceptance and commercialization of new products, demand for meat and livestock feeds, weather conditions, global market price, disease/pest pressure, and government’s enabling policies…
