Despite being a sector plagued by controversy, the global area of
genetically modified crops last year grew by 11%, according to a
report released yesterday by the International Service for the
Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA).
The ISAAA 2005 Global Report on Biotech Crops, authored by chairperson Dr Clive James, was released just a few days after critics slammed GM crops in well-timed press releases.
2005 saw the tenth year that biotechnology has been commercially produced.
Currently, there are 21 countries that have some 90-million hectares under growth by 8,8-million farmers, over 7-million of whom are developmental farmers.
Growth in planting genetically modified (GM) foods has seen developing countries grow faster than industrialised nations, with growth rates of 23% compared to 5%.
While South Africa provides some 0,6% of the world's production, the US has over half of all the hectares in the world.
South Africa ranks eights out of the 14 megacountries that grew 50 000 or more hectares, growing some 500 000 hectares.
The world's second largest producers, after the US, are Argentina and Brazil.
All three countries combined grow some 80% of the world's GM products.
Some 15% of all crops produced are genetically modified, mostly either through insect resistance technology (Bt), or through having herbicide tolerance.
Transgenic maize seems to be staging a takeover this year locally and is expected to reach 40% of all maize planted, even though hectares to be planted have dropped.
While South Africa is the only country in Africa that has GM crops in commercial production, the rest of Africa is catching up and is moving towards GM crop production commercially.
Growth over the next decade is expected to outstrip the last ten years, and plant types are now expanding beyond cotton, maize and soybean to include rice, currently being grown in Iran.
In Africa, many countries are putting biosafety laws into place and field trials with GM crops are under way in Zimbabwe, Kenya, Burkina Faso and Egypt, with more to follow.
Currently, Africa's crop production is the lowest in the world as maize yields average 1,7 t/ha compared to four tons a hectare globally.
And, by 2025, Africa's population will have doubled to 1,5-billion.
As a result, many countries in Africa are moving towards GM crops to increase yields and feed citizens.
Four West African presidents, Mali's Amadou Toumani Toure, Niger's Mamadou Tandja, Ghana's John Kufour and Burkina Faso's Blaise Compaore have issued a statement in support of GM food.
“The continent must increase food production 12-fold in order to satisfy the food needs of the population. To meet this challenge Africa must acquire and adopt biotechnology to the agricultural sectors.”
But not all are in favour of adopting biotechnology.
The critics put forward their case
The African Centre for Biosafety and Friends of the Earth Nigeria issued a statement two days before the ISAAA conference claiming that ten years after the first significant planting of GM crops, there are no apparent benefits for consumers, farmers or the environment, and, despite renewed promises by biotech corporations, there has been no impact on hunger and poverty.
A report by the African Centre for Biosafety and Friends of the Earth International argues that “the increase in GM crops in a limited number of countries has largely been the result of the aggressive strategies of the biotech industry, rather than the consequence of benefits derived from using GM technology”.
"Contrary to the promises made by the biotech industry, the reality of the last ten years shows that the safety of GM crops cannot be ensured and that these crops are neither cheaper nor better quality. Biotech crops are not a solution to solve hunger in Africa or elsewhere," said Nnimmo Bassey of Friends of the Earth Nigeria.
The critics argue that Western African Governments such as Burkina Faso and other governments in Western Africa have been under substantial pressure in recent years to rapidly introduce GM cotton.
In a fact sheet bearing the logo of Friends of the Earth International, the critics argue that the crops are not better in quality and are not any cheaper.
Friends of the Earth International also say that some crop types have led to increases in herbicide costs.
The organisation takes aim at seed producers Monsanto, Sygenta and Bayer.
Monsanto, it said, is now the world's biggest seed producer.
ISAAA counters this by saying that GM crops make up only 15% of the global crop-protection market and only 18% of the global seed market.
It said that the ISAAA has misrepresented the performance of the crops and have ignored negative impacts while applauding benefits.
The four-page fact sheet goes on to say that GM crops in Africa will not alleviate hunger as no GM crops have been introduced to address hunger.
It adds that the number of, for example, Bt cotton farmers in South Africa has gone down, with some farmers defaulting on loans.
ISAAA has indicated that the report referred to is broadly inaccurate.
The ISAAA 2005 Global Report on Biotech Crops, authored by chairperson Dr Clive James, was released just a few days after critics slammed GM crops in well-timed press releases.
2005 saw the tenth year that biotechnology has been commercially produced.
Currently, there are 21 countries that have some 90-million hectares under growth by 8,8-million farmers, over 7-million of whom are developmental farmers.
Growth in planting genetically modified (GM) foods has seen developing countries grow faster than industrialised nations, with growth rates of 23% compared to 5%.
While South Africa provides some 0,6% of the world's production, the US has over half of all the hectares in the world.
South Africa ranks eights out of the 14 megacountries that grew 50 000 or more hectares, growing some 500 000 hectares.
The world's second largest producers, after the US, are Argentina and Brazil.
All three countries combined grow some 80% of the world's GM products.
Some 15% of all crops produced are genetically modified, mostly either through insect resistance technology (Bt), or through having herbicide tolerance.
Transgenic maize seems to be staging a takeover this year locally and is expected to reach 40% of all maize planted, even though hectares to be planted have dropped.
While South Africa is the only country in Africa that has GM crops in commercial production, the rest of Africa is catching up and is moving towards GM crop production commercially.
Growth over the next decade is expected to outstrip the last ten years, and plant types are now expanding beyond cotton, maize and soybean to include rice, currently being grown in Iran.
In Africa, many countries are putting biosafety laws into place and field trials with GM crops are under way in Zimbabwe, Kenya, Burkina Faso and Egypt, with more to follow.
Currently, Africa's crop production is the lowest in the world as maize yields average 1,7 t/ha compared to four tons a hectare globally.
And, by 2025, Africa's population will have doubled to 1,5-billion.
As a result, many countries in Africa are moving towards GM crops to increase yields and feed citizens.
Four West African presidents, Mali's Amadou Toumani Toure, Niger's Mamadou Tandja, Ghana's John Kufour and Burkina Faso's Blaise Compaore have issued a statement in support of GM food.
“The continent must increase food production 12-fold in order to satisfy the food needs of the population. To meet this challenge Africa must acquire and adopt biotechnology to the agricultural sectors.”
But not all are in favour of adopting biotechnology.
The critics put forward their case
The African Centre for Biosafety and Friends of the Earth Nigeria issued a statement two days before the ISAAA conference claiming that ten years after the first significant planting of GM crops, there are no apparent benefits for consumers, farmers or the environment, and, despite renewed promises by biotech corporations, there has been no impact on hunger and poverty.
A report by the African Centre for Biosafety and Friends of the Earth International argues that “the increase in GM crops in a limited number of countries has largely been the result of the aggressive strategies of the biotech industry, rather than the consequence of benefits derived from using GM technology”.
"Contrary to the promises made by the biotech industry, the reality of the last ten years shows that the safety of GM crops cannot be ensured and that these crops are neither cheaper nor better quality. Biotech crops are not a solution to solve hunger in Africa or elsewhere," said Nnimmo Bassey of Friends of the Earth Nigeria.
The critics argue that Western African Governments such as Burkina Faso and other governments in Western Africa have been under substantial pressure in recent years to rapidly introduce GM cotton.
In a fact sheet bearing the logo of Friends of the Earth International, the critics argue that the crops are not better in quality and are not any cheaper.
Friends of the Earth International also say that some crop types have led to increases in herbicide costs.
The organisation takes aim at seed producers Monsanto, Sygenta and Bayer.
Monsanto, it said, is now the world's biggest seed producer.
ISAAA counters this by saying that GM crops make up only 15% of the global crop-protection market and only 18% of the global seed market.
It said that the ISAAA has misrepresented the performance of the crops and have ignored negative impacts while applauding benefits.
The four-page fact sheet goes on to say that GM crops in Africa will not alleviate hunger as no GM crops have been introduced to address hunger.
It adds that the number of, for example, Bt cotton farmers in South Africa has gone down, with some farmers defaulting on loans.
ISAAA has indicated that the report referred to is broadly inaccurate.
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