Press Releases

Predicted Second Wave of Biotech Growth and Development Begins: Developing Countries Recognize Biotechnology as a Key to Food Self-Sufficiency and Prosperity

CONTACT: Randy A. Hautea, +63 (2) 845-0563, seasiacenter@isaaa.org

BEIJING/February 23/ISAAA/ -- Last year, the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) predicted biotech crops were poised for a new wave of growth. Substantial gains have already been made in 2009 that are starting to bring that prediction to fruition. With 14 years of regulatory experience, growth can be accelerated moving forward.

One of the most significant advances in 2009 included a landmark November decision by China issuing biosafety certificates for biotech insect-resistant rice and phytase maize. As rice is the most important food crop globally, feeding half of humanity, and maize is the most important feed crop in the world, these biosafety clearances can have enormous implications for future biotech crop adoption in China, Asia, and around the world. The crops must complete 2 to 3 years of standard registration field trials prior to commercialization.

“With last year’s food crisis, price spikes, and hunger and malnutrition afflicting more than 1 billion people for the first time ever, there has been a global shift from efforts for just food security to food self-sufficiency,” said Clive James, chairman and founder of ISAAA. “With a current population of 1.3 billion, biotech crops are a critical component for China and other countries to gain self-sufficiency.”

As the largest rice producing country, China suffers significant losses from rice borer. Bt rice has the potential to increase yields up to 8 percent, decrease pesticide use by 80 percent (17 kg/ha) and generate US$4 billion in benefits annually.

“This would have a direct and extensive increase on the prosperity of about 440 million Chinese who rely on rice production,” said Dr. Dafang Huang, former director at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. “With hundreds of millions of small farmers in our country, biotech crops can serve as an engine for agricultural economic growth and bring prosperity to these small farmers.”

China is also the second largest maize producer in the world, with about 100 million farmers growing 30 million hectares of the grain. Increasing prosperity in the country is creating an increased demand for animal protein, making maize a key resource. The improved phytase maize will allow China’s 500 million pigs and 13 billion chickens and other poultry to more easily digest phosphate, improving the animal’s growth and reducing the amount of the nutrient excreted. Currently, phosphate must be purchased and added to feed, and it contributes to environmental pollution.

“China’s global leadership in approving biotech rice and maize will likely become a positive role model and influence acceptance and speed of biotech food and feed crop adoption throughout Asia and globally,” James said.

China is just one of 16 developing countries that grew biotech crops in 2009. Growth of biotech crops has been substantially higher in developing nations – 13 percent or 7 million hectares in 2009 compared to just 3 percent or 2 million hectares in industrialized countries. As a result, almost half (46 percent) of the global hectarage of biotech crops were planted in developing countries, where 13 million small farmers benefitted.

“This strong adoption puts to rest the idea that biotech crops can only benefit larger farmers and industrialized countries,” Huang said. “In fact, countries like China, with hundreds of millions of small farmers, have identified biotech crops as a key to self-sufficiency to make it less dependent on others for food, feed, and fiber.”

During 2009 there was a noticeable growth in appreciation for the essential role of agriculture by global society. In fact, the G8 recently approved US$20 billion over three years “to help farmers in the poorest nations improve food production and help the poor feed themselves.”

The late Norman Borlaug, founding patron of ISAAA and to whom this year’s report is dedicated also recognized this need. He stated that, “what we need is courage by the leaders of those countries where farmers still have no choice but to use older and less effective methods. The Green Revolution and now plant biotechnology are helping meet the growing demand for food production, while preserving our environment for future generations.”

2009 Key Highlights
In 2009, 14 million farmers planted 134 million hectares (330 million acres) of biotech crops in 25 countries, up from 13.3 million farmers and 125 million hectares (7 percent) in 2008. Notably, in 2009, 13 of the 14 million farmers, or 90 percent, were small and resource-poor farmers from developing countries.

Trait hectares or “virtual hectares” reached 180 million hectares, up 14 million hectares from 2008. Eight of the 11 countries planting crops with stacked traits were developing nations.

Brazil surpassed Argentina as the second largest grower of biotech crops globally. Impressive growth of 5.6 million hectares to 21.4 million hectares, up 35 percent from 2008, was the highest absolute growth for any country in 2009.

Burkina Faso’s biotech cotton area soared from 8,500 hectares to a substantial 115,000 hectares, or from 2 percent to 29 percent of the country’s total cotton area – the largest percentage growth on record at 1,350 percent. Progress continued in the rest of Africa with a significant 17 percent increase in South Africa to reach 2.1 million hectares and a 15 percent increase in Egypt to total 1,000 hectares of Bt maize.

But cotton in India has revolutionized cotton production in the country with 5.6 million farmers planting 8.4 million hectares in 2009, equivalent to a record 87 percent adoption rate. India gained US$1.8 billion from Bt cotton in 2008 alone and reduced insecticide use by half.

Costa Rica reported biotech crops for the first time in 2009, exclusively for the seed export market, while Japan began commercialization of a biotech blue rose.

Six European countries planted 94,750 hectares of biotech crops in 2009, down from seven countries and 107,719 hectares in 2008, as Germany discontinued its planting. Spain planted 80 percent of all the Bt maize in the EU in 2009 and maintained its record adoption rate of 22 percent from the previous year.

The top eight countries, each growing more than 1 million hectares, were: United States (64.0 million ha.), Brazil (21.4 million ha.), Argentina (21.3 million ha.), India (8.4 million ha.), Canada (8.2 million ha.), China (3.7 million ha.), Paraguay (2.2 million ha.), and South Africa (2.1 million ha.). The remaining countries included: Uruguay, Bolivia, Philippines, Australia, Burkina Faso, Spain, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Honduras, Czech Republic, Portugal, Romania, Poland, Costa Rica, Egypt and Slovakia.

A Sharp Increase in Foreign Corn Supplies Projected This Month

CONTACT: +1 (913) 438-8700, info@cattlenetwork.com

LENEXA, KANSAS/March 12/Cattle Network/ -- Global corn supplies forecast for 2009/10 are increased 6.4 million tons this month to 950.1 million. Production and trade revisions for 2008/09 boost 2009/10 world beginning stocks 0.5 million tons to 146.4 million. World corn production forecast for 2009/10 is increased 5.9 million tons to a record 803.7 million, exceeding 800 million for the first time, despite a small decline in the US crop.

Global coarse grain production is up less than the increase in corn because of a 1.2-million-ton reduction in barley production and small declines for mixed grain and rye in the EU. Still, world coarse grain production in 2009/10 is now projected to exceed 1.1 billion tons and nearly match the 2008/09 record.

Growing conditions for corn across the Southern Hemisphere have been generally very favorable, with Argentina and South Africa both receiving above-normal precipitation and mostly moderate temperatures during crucial reproductive growth stages. The above-normal rain in Argentina is not surprising because the ongoing El Nino condition in the Pacific is associated with heavy rain in Argentina’s main corn region. However, El Nino is also associated with drought in the Maiz Triangle of South Africa, yet actual temperatures and precipitation have been exceptionally favorable.

Argentina’s corn production is forecast up 3.8 million tons this month to 21.0 million. With the good rains, late planting was more extensive than expected, boosting area harvested 0.35 million hectares to 2.5 million. Harvesting has just begun, and crop conditions are generally reported to be good to excellent. Current conditions support the projected record 8.4 tons per hectare average yield. The areas that have received excessive rains are well enough drained to limit damage. Favorable conditions have also led to a larger-than-expected area planted to sorghum, boosting production prospects 0.5 million tons to 3.8 million. However, for barley, heavy rains late in the growing season and during harvest reduced yields and damaged quality, cutting production 0.4 million tons to 1.2 million. Additionally, a reassessment of corn supply and use for 2008/09 in Argentina, as the local marketing year draws to a close, reveals that corn production must have been significantly larger than previously estimated despite the severe drought. Corn area for 2008/09 is increased 10 percent this month, increasing estimated production 2.4 million tons to 15.0 million.

South Africa had very favorable temperatures and precipitation during January and February 2010, supporting 2009/10 corn crop prospects. However, continued rains are needed during March to support grain fill. South Africa reported revised area, up 5 percent, as seedings exceeded earlier expectations. Moreover, current conditions support above-trend yields, and production is projected up 2.0 million tons this month to 13.5 million tons. This is the largest corn production since the 1980/81 record when area was more than a third larger.

Corn production for 2009/10 was increased 0.3 million tons this month for both Moldova and Cambodia, based on larger reported area. Iran’s corn production is projected up 0.2 million tons due to increased area, while both area and yield combined to boost corn production in the Philippines by a similar amount. Increased yields led to small increases in corn production for Croatia and Saudi Arabia. There are decreases in projected corn production this month due to reduced area for India, down 0.5 million tons, and for Chile, down fractionally. China’s barley production is revised down 0.6 million tons to 2.5 million based on a report from the U.S. Embassy. Mexico’s barley production is cut 0.3 million tons to 0.5 million as dryness cut harvested area and yields.

As more complete information and data about 2008/09 production, trade, and use becomes available, ending stocks are revised, changing supplies for 2009/10. This month there are numerous changes to 2009/10 corn beginning stocks, mostly caused by 2008/09 trade revisions. The largest change is for South Africa, up 0.5 million tons as reduced 2008/09 exports boost stocks. Argentina’s corn stocks are up 0.4 million tons due to increased 2008/09 production, and India’s corn stocks are boosted 0.2 million tons due to lower estimated food use in 2008/09. There are smaller increases in 2009/10 corn beginning stocks this month for the Dominican Republic, Panama, the Philippines, Moldova, Egypt, Yemen, Georgia, Cambodia, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. Revised old-crop production for Iran and increased 2008/09 exports in Paraguay trimmed corn stocks 0.3 million tons each. There are smaller reductions in corn stocks this month for Chile, Syria, Malaysia, Guatemala, Taiwan, and Honduras.

USDA’s Food for Progress Program Expected to Benefit More than 3.4 Million People in Emerging Democracies this Year

CONTACT: Terry Bish, (202) 720-5974

WASHINGTON, DC/March 2/USDA/ -- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA will donate more than $145 million in international assistance under the Food for Progress Program in fiscal year 2010.

"This unique food assistance program furthers the Obama Administration's efforts to introduce and expand free enterprise in the agricultural sector of developing countries and emerging democracies around the world," said Vilsack. "The allocations announced today will benefit more than 3.4 million people in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East by providing access to new opportunities for farmers and rural communities."

Allocations announced today include more than 204,000 metric tons of U.S. rice, soybean oil, soybeans, soy flour, tallow, vegetable oil, wheat and yellow corn that will be purchased on the U.S. market and donated by USDA to foreign governments, cooperatives and private-voluntary, non-profit or intergovernmental organizations. The program targets developing countries and emerging democracies like Uganda, where the program has helped a Ugandan dairy quadruple its sales in one year, and Honduras, where palm oil farmers were able to launch their own refinement plant.

Projects proposed by these entities are chosen based on their agricultural focus, the country's needs, the proposal's quality and the organization's management, experience and financial and technical capabilities. The entities sell the donated U.S. commodities in recipient countries and use the funds raised to implement approved agricultural and rural development projects, while helping to address food shortages.