A slump in commodity prices stalled worldwide plantings of genetically engineered crops at 179.7 million hectares (444 million acres) in 2015, says a group that encourages use of agricultural biotechnology. The report by International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications marked the 20th anniversary of the commercialization of GE crops. In the first year, 1996, plantings totaled 1.7 million hectares (4.2 million acres). “Following an unprecedented run of 19 years of consecutive yearly growth from 1996-2014, the annual global hectarage of biotech crops peaked at 181.5 million in 2014,” said ISAA. A principal factor for smaller plantings was lower crop prices, it said.
“Year-to-year biotech crop hectarage decreases, driven by low prices, are likely to reverse when crop prices revert to higher levels in the future,” said the ISAAA report. Overall, GE crops are “the fastest-adopted crop technology in recent times,” it said.
While the United States is the largest grower of GE crops, planting 39 percent of the global total, the ISAAA said as a group, 20 developing countries devoted more land, 97.1 million hectares, to GE crops than did industrialized nations with 82.6 million hectares. Corn, soybeans and cotton are the most commonly planted GE varieties.
Vietnam planted its first biotech crop, corn, in 2015. “Cuba, which has planted biotech maize for the last two years, will resume planting of biotech maize in two years’ time when their improved maize hybrids are ready for deployment,” said ISAAA.
Half of U.S. cropland is planted with GE crops, chiefly corn, soybeans and cotton, but also canola and sugarbeets, a demonstration of the crops’ popularity with farmers. Congress is at an impasse over labeling rules for GMO foods. The U.S. policy since the 1990s has been that labeling is voluntary. On July 1, labeling will become mandatory in Vermont. Campbell Soup, ConAgra, Kellogg, General Mills and Mars say they will label GMO products nationwide as a result of the Vermont law.