Abstract

Reference: ISAAA 2002b
Title: Global Status of Commercialized Transgenic Crops: 2002: Preview. 
Author: James, C. 
Publisher: The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications, ISAAA SEAsiaCenter, c/o IRRI, DAPO Box 7777, Metro Manila, The Philippines. 
Publication details: ISAAA Briefs No. 27, 2002

A review of the global status of commercialized transgenic crops has been published annually by ISAAA since 1997. This report summarizes the status and trends of commercial transgenic crops in 2002. 

The estimated global area of transgenic or GM crops for 2002, is 58.7 million has or 145 million acres, grown by between 5.5 and 6.0 million farmers in sixteen countries - up from 5 million farmers and thirteen countries in 2001.  The increase in area between 2001 and 2002 is 12%, equivalent to 6.1 million has. or 15 million acres.

In 2002, four principal countries grew 99% of the global transgenic crop area. The USA grew 39.0 million has. (66% of global total), followed by Argentina with 13.5 million has. (23%), Canada 3.5 million has. (6%), and China 2.1 million has. (4%). 

Globally, the principal GM crops were GM soybean occupying 36.5 million has in 2002 (62% of global area), followed by GM corn at 12.4 million has (21%), transgenic cotton at 6.8 million has (12%), and GM canola at 3 million has (5%). The two dominant GM crop/trait combinations in 2002 were: herbicide tolerant soybean and Bt maize. .

An increasing proportion of GM crops are grown in developing countries. More than one quarter (27%) of the global GM crop area of 58.7 million has. in 2002, equivalent to 16 million has., was grown in nine developing countries. India, the largest cotton growing country in the world, commercialized Bt cotton for the first time in 2002.

During the seven-year period 1996 to 2002, global area of transgenic crops increased 35-fold, from 1.7 million has. in 1996 to 58.7 million has. in 2002.  A sustained rate of annual growth of more than 10% per year has been achieved every year for the last six years, since the first commercial cultivation of transgenic crops in 1996.

Back to ISAAA page