GM CROPS
By Linda on Jan 26, 2010 in General News
2009 GM Crop Fact File
ARE GM CROPS TAKING OVER GLOBAL AGRICULTURE?
• GM plantings make up a mere 2.4% of global agricultural crop land
• Nearly 80% of the global area planted to GM crops was in just three countries – the US, Argentina and Brazil
• The US alone plants over 50% of the world’s GM crops
• Less than 3% of cropland in India and China is planted with GM crops, almost exclusively just 1 crop – GM cottonARE GM CROPS EXPANDING IN EUROPE?
- In the 27 countries of the European Union, GM crop cultivation represents a mere 0.21% of agricultural land
- The number of hectares of GM crops fell last year in Europe
- EuropaBio inflated the figures for GM crops grown in Europe by almost a quarter to mask the decline in the area of GM crops being grown has actually fallen in Europe every year since 2005.
WHAT GM CROPS ARE BEING GROWN?
- Most investment has gone into a small number of crops and traits targeted toward large-scale commercial farming
- Only four crops – soya, maize, cotton and canola (oilseed rape) – comprise virtually 100% of GM agriculture
- GM rice, wheat, tomatoes, sweetcorn, potatoes and popcorn have all been rejected as unacceptable in the global marketplace
- GM papaya cultivation in Hawaii has been declining over several years.
DO GM CROPS MATCH THE HYPE?