17 million farmers around the world grew GMO crops in 2017, industry studies show

biotechcornfarmer
Image source: SEARCA Biotechnology Information Center
[T]he International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) and PG Economics, Ltd. released new studies highlighting the continued social, environmental and economic benefits of the global adoption of biotechnology in agriculture.

The ISAAA report shows the global biotech crop area increased in 2017 by 3 percent or 4.7 million hectares.  This increase is due primarily to greater profitability stemming from higher commodity prices, increased market demand both domestically and internationally, and the presence of available seed technologies. As more developing countries, now 19 in total including India, Pakistan, Brazil, Bolivia, Sudan, Mexico, Colombia, Vietnam, Honduras, and Bangladesh  have increased their biotech crop area and continue to allow farmers to  adopt biotechnology in food production, smallholder farmers see the direct improvements this offers, allowing them  to provide better lives for themselves and their families. In fact, developing countries now account for 53 percent of the global biotech area planted.

From 1996-2016, PG Economics reported biotech crops provided $186.1 billion in economic gains to some 17 million farmers, many of whom are female, smallholder farmers solely responsible for the livelihood of their families and communities.

Advances in biotech crops allow farmers to use insecticides and herbicides more strategically, reducing the environmental impact associated with their use by 18.4 percent on GM crop areas since 1996.

Editor’s note: Read the full studies here and here (behind paywall)

Read full, original press release: Biotech Crop Adoption Leads to Greater Sustainability and Socioeconomic Opportunities for Global Farmers and Citizens

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