Page 11 - PowerPoint Presentation

Rhodora Romero-Aldemita, Ph.D

“Current Status of Agricultural Biotechnology Adoption and Regulation in the
Region”

ABSTRACT

Global commercialization of biotech crops reached a new height in 2017 with a 3% year on year increase, equivalent to 4.7
million hectares from 185.1 million hectares in 2016 to 189.8 million hectares in 2017. Adoption rate of biotech crops reached
close to saturation in big biotech crop planting countries of the USA (94.5%), Brazil (94%), Argentina (100%), Canada (95%)
and India (93%) in four major biotech crops of soybeans, corn, cotton and canola. Global area of these biotech crops reached
80% for cotton, 77% for soybean, 32% for maize, and 30% for canola of the global crop area based on the FAO data of 2016
(FAO, 2017). With some 24 countries planting biotech crops, 19 developing countries grew 53% of the global biotech area
compared to five industrial countries that grew 47%. Top five developing countries include Brazil (50.2), Argentina (23.6),
India (11.4), Paraguay (3.0), and Pakistan (3.0), which planted 91.3% of the 100.6 million hectares planted by developing
countries, and 48% of the total global area of 189.8 million hectares. Seventeen countries (eight cultivated and nine imported)
adopted biotech crops in the Asia-Pacific region which provided benefits for some 16 million small-holder farmers and their
families. The region planted the primary raw materials for food, feed, and fiber with biotech canola, eggplant, maize and
cotton, respectively. The enabling biosafety regulations of biotech-commercializing countries in the region: India, Pakistan,
China, Australia, Philippines, Myanmar, Vietnam and Bangladesh allowed science-based assessment of new biotech crops
and traits efficiently and with transparency. The increasing population in the region would need an enhancement of
productivity to lessen imports for food and feed purposes, especially biotech soybeans, alfalfa, sugar beets, potato and apple.
There are investments to develop home grown biotech crops and traits to sustain the benefits contributed by biotech crops on
productivity, food and environmental safety and socio-economic improvements in the region.
10