ISAAA Briefs brief 52 Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: 2016 Up to ~18 million farmers in 26 countries planted 185.1 million hectares (457.4 million acres) in 2016, an increase of 3% or 5.4 million hectares (13.1 million acres) from 2015. No. 52 – 2016 Note to ReadeRS: Over the last 21 years, ISAAA has devoted considerable effort usage of these words in different regions of the world, with to consolidate all the available data on officially approved biotech crops being used exclusively in this text because biotech crop adoption globally; it is important to note that of its growing usage worldwide. Similarly, the words corn, the database does not include plantings of biotech crops that used in North America, and maize, used more commonly are not officially approved. The database draws on a large elsewhere in the world, are synonymous, with maize being number of sources of approved biotech crops from both the used consistently in this Brief, except for common names like public and private sectors in many countries throughout the corn rootworm where global usage dictates the use of the world. The range of crops is those defined as food, feed and word corn. All $ dollar values in this Brief are US dollars unless fiber crops in the FAO database, which totaled ~10 billion otherwise noted. Some of the listed references may not be metric tons of production in 2010 (http://www.geohive.com. cited in the text – for convenience they have been included Charts/ag_crops.aspx). Data sources vary by country and because they are considered useful reading material and were include, where available, government statistics, independent used as preparatory documents for this Brief. Global totals of surveys, and estimates from commodity groups, seed millions of hectares planted with biotech crops have in some associations and other groups, plus a range of proprietary cases been rounded off to the nearest million and similarly, databases. In the interest of uniformity, continuity, and subtotals to the nearest 100,000 hectares, using both < and comparability, wherever possible, ISAAA utilizes the same > characters; hence in some cases this leads to insignificant published data source annually; for example, for Brazil, the approximations, and there may be minor variances in August biotech reports of Celeres are used; similarly, for some figures, totals, and percentage estimates that do not the US, the USDA/NASS crop acreage reports published always add up exactly to 100% due to rounding off. It is also on 30 June annually are used. Published ISAAA estimates important to note that countries in the Southern Hemisphere are, wherever possible, based on more than one source of plant their crops in the last quarter of the calendar year. The information and thus are usually not attributable to one biotech crop areas reported in this publication are planted, specific source. Multiple sources of information for the not necessarily harvested hectarage, in the year stated. Thus, same data point greatly facilitate assessment, verification, for example, the 2016 information for Argentina, Brazil, and validation of specific estimates. The “proprietary” ISAAA Australia, South Africa, and Uruguay is hectares usually database on biotech crops is unique from two points of view; planted in the last quarter of 2016 and harvested in the first, it provides a global perspective; second, it has used the first quarter of 2017, or later, with some countries like the same basic methodology, improved continuously for the last Philippines planting crops in more than one season per year. 20 years and hence provides continuity from the genesis Thus, for countries of the Southern hemisphere, such as Brazil of the commercialization of biotech crops in 1996, to the and Argentina the estimates are projections, and thus are present. The database has gained acceptance internationally always subject to change due to weather, which may increase as a reliable benchmark of the global status of biotech food, or decrease actual planted area before the end of the planting feed and fiber crops and is widely cited in the scientific season when this Brief went to press. For Brazil, the winter literature and the international press. Whereas individual maize crop (safrinha) planted at the end of December 2016 data points make-up the data base, the most valuable and more intensively through January and February 2017, is information is the trends of adoption over time, for example classified as a 2016 crop in this Brief, consistent with a policy the increasing dominance of developing countries which is which uses the first date of planting to determine the crop clearly evident. year. All biotech crop hectare estimates in this Brief, and all ISAAA publications, are only counted once, irrespective of how Note that the words rapeseed, canola, and Argentine canola many traits are incorporated in the crops. Country figures are used synonymously, as well as transgenic, genetically were sourced from The Economist, supplemented by data modified crops, GM crops, and biotech crops, reflecting the from World Bank, FAO and UNCTAD, when necessary. ISAAA Briefs brief 52 Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: 2016 No. 52 – 2016 ISAAA prepares this Brief and supports its free distribution to developing countries. The objective is to provide information and knowledge to the scientific community and society on biotech/GM crops to facilitate a more informed and transparent discussion regarding their potential role in contributing to global food, feed, fiber and fuel security, and a more sustainable agriculture. ISAAA takes full responsibility for the views expressed in this publication and for any errors of omission or misinterpretation. Published by: The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA). Copyright: ISAAA 2016. All rights reserved. Whereas ISAAA encourages the global sharing of information in Brief 52, no part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronically, mechanically, by photocopying, recording or otherwise without the permission of the copyright owners. Reproduction of this publication, or parts thereof, for educational and non-commercial purposes is encouraged with due acknowledgment, subsequent to permission being granted by ISAAA. Citation: ISAAA. 2016. Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: 2016. ISAAA Brief No. 52. ISAAA: Ithaca, NY. This 2016 ISAAA Brief is an extension of the 20 Volumes of Annual Briefs (1996 to 2015) on global status of biotech/GM crops authored by Clive James, Founder & Emeritus Chairman of ISAAA. iSBN: 978-1-892456-66-4 Publication orders: Full Brief 52 and the Executive Summary are downloadable free of charge from the ISAAA website (http://www.isaaa.org). Please contact the ISAAA SEAsiaCenter to acquire a hard copy of the full version of Brief 52. ISAAA SEAsiaCenter c/o IRRI DAPO Box 7777 Metro Manila, Philippines info on iSaaa: For information about ISAAA, please contact the Center nearest you: ISAAA AmeriCenter ISAAA AfriCenter ISAAA SEAsiaCenter 105 Leland Lab PO Box 70, ILRI Campus c/o IRRI Cornell University Old Naivasha Road DAPO Box 7777 Ithaca NY 14853, U.S.A. Uthiru, Nairobi 00605 Metro Manila Kenya Philippines electronically: or email to [email protected] For Executive Summaries of all ISAAA Briefs, please visit http://www.isaaa.org table of Contents List of Tables and Figures ii Czech Republic 78 Introduction 1 Need for EU to Change Stance 79 Global Area of Biotech Crops in 2016 2 on Biotech Crops Distribution of Biotech Crops in 2 United Kingdom’s Exit (BREXIT) 80 Industrial and Developing from the EU Could Open Countries GM Opportunities Distribution of Biotech Crops, by 4 Benefits of Biotech Crops 81 Country Future Prospects of Biotech 81 Economic Benefits of Biotech Crops 7 Crops in the EU Country Chapters Africa 81 United States of America 8 Sudan 81 Brazil 16 Progress with Biotech Crops 83 Argentina 19 Research in Other African Canada 24 Countries India 28 Biosafety Policy Developments 84 Paraguay 33 Technology Demand 87 Pakistan 36 Partnerships Emerging in 87 China 41 Africa South Africa 45 Policy Pronouncements 87 Uruguay 49 Distribution of Biotech Crops, by Crop 89 Latin American Countries 50 Biotech soybean 89 Bolivia 50 Biotech maize 89 Mexico 51 Biotech cotton 91 Colombia 54 Biotech canola 91 Honduras 55 Biotech alfalfa 92 Chile 56 Other biotech crops 92 Costa Rica 57 Distribution of Biotech Crops, by Trait 92 Future Prospects for Latin 58 The Global Value of the Biotech Crop 94 America Market Asia and the Pacific 58 Trends in Biotech Crop Approvals 95 Australia 58 1992-2016 Philippines 61 Benefits of Biotech/Genetically 96 Myanmar 65 Modified Crops Vietnam 67 Future of Biotech Crops: A Game 106 Bangladesh 69 Changer Future Prospects of Biotech 73 Biotech/GM Crop Regulation 109 Crops in Asia and the Supportive of Innovation Pacific Conclusion and Closing Comments 113 The European Union (EU 28) 73 Acknowledgments 116 Spain 74 References 117 Portugal 76 Appendices 121 Slovakia 77 i List of Tables and Figures taBleS Table 1. Global Area of Biotech Crops, the First 21 Years, 1996 to 2016 Table 2. Global Area of Biotech Crops, 2015 and 2016: Industrial and Developing Countries (Million Hectares) Table 3. Global Area of Biotech Crops in 2015 and 2016: by Country (Million Hectares) Table 4. Biotech Crop Hectarage in the USA, 2016 Table 5. Biotech Crop Hectarage in Brazil, 2016 Table 6. Biotech Crop Hectarage in Argentina, 2016 Table 7. Economic Benefits of Biotech Crops in Argentina (Billion US$) and Percentage Table 8. Biotech Crop Hectarage in Canada, 2016 Table 9. Seed Yield (Kg/ha) of Biotech Mustard Hybrid DMH-11 During BRL-I in 2010-11 and 2011-12 Table 10. Status of Biosafety Research Trials of Biotech Crops in India, 2016 Table 11. Biotech Crop Area in Paraguay, 2016 Table 12.