THE International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Crops (ISAAA) last week released its annual report into the uptake of genetically modified (GM) crops, and found there had been a steady increase in GM production since the first commercialisation of GM crops in 1996.
The report found there had been a steady nine million hectare, or seven per cent per annum, increase in GM crop production, with 134 million hectares of GM being planted in 2009.
The Americas continued to be the stronghold of GM production, with four of the top five nations in terms of acreage being in either North or South America.
Nearly half of the world’s GM acreage is in the US, with 47pc, or 64 million hectares, while Brazil is second on the table with 16pc, or 21.4 million hectares.
Soybeans remain by far the dominant GM commodity, with over 75pc of GM plantings being GM soy.
Cotton also has a strong GM presence, with nearly half of the world’s cotton (49pc) GM, according to the ISAAA study.
Meanwhile, internationally, 21pc of Australia’s main GM crop, canola, is GM.
In terms of numbers, the ISAAA report found that much of the uptake was in the developing world, with 13 million out of the 14 million farmers growing GM crops based in developing countries.
However, the notion that the increase of GM plantings means increased worldwide acceptance is being hotly disputed by anti-GM groups.
Friends of the Earth Europe GM campaigner Kirtana Chandrasekaran said the benefits of GM were being grossly overstated.
"GM crops are being promoted as a solution to feed us in a warming world, when in reality they are wiping out forests, damaging farmers’ livelihoods and increasing harmful emissions,” the spokesperson said.
Locally, lobby group Gene Ethics said the report highlighted how little of world was using GM technology.
"GM is not a global industry. Just six countries dominate GM cropping, with the USA, Brazil, Argentina, India, Canada and China growing 95% of all GM crops,” said Gene Ethics director Bob Phelps.
He argued that Africa remained firmly disinterested in GM, in spite of ISAAA figures showing a 13-fold year on year increase in the production of GM cotton in the central African nation of Burkina Faso.
Mr Phelps said the massive increase was due to low level plantings in 2008.
The ISAA report said 57 countries had granted regulatory approval for GM food crops and imports, however Mr Phelps said the majority of countries still remained GM-free.
"ISAAA ignores the policies of the 170 countries and 60 territories that remain GM-free,” Mr Phelps said.
He forecast that GM crops would find it difficult to find a market in the future, due to trade restrictions.
“The Cartagena Biosafety Protocol will be completed this year, giving countries more grounds for saying 'no' to GM crops, with 156 countries now members of the treaty.”
And he claimed the technology used in GM cultivars was outdated.
"No new GM crops have been commercialised since 1996. Pushing GM is like peddling Windows '95 - the technology and its products are past their use by date," he said.
However, the ISAAA report outlined several advances soon to hit the paddock.
Although herbicide tolerance is by far the most popular GM trait, there is growing interest in two-fold, or stacked, traits, which combine two traits, such as herbicide and insect tolerance.
Already, 41pc of the US’s GM acreage is planted to crops with stacked traits.
Meanwhile, ISAAA reported progress in terms of GM rice and wheat.
The Chinese have bred an insect resistant rice, which ISAAA said was an important development in the most important food crop in the world.
In terms of wheat, while no varieties will be hitting the paddocks shortly, ISAAA said the work of nine major wheat breeding organizations in the US, Canada and Australia were working towards developing a GM wheat, and also pointed to Monsanto’s re-engagement in GM wheat research as a positive sign that there could be developments on the GM wheat front in as little as five years.
Some of the characteristics in the research pipeline for GM wheat varieties include resistance to yellow mosaic virus, head scab, powdery mildew, insect resistance, as well as drought and salinity tolerance, improved grain quality and herbicide tolerance.
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