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27. What is the global outlook in relation to GM crops grown and the size of the cropping area?
In 2007, GM crops were grown over 114.3 million hectares globally by approximately 12 million farmers. This is the fastest adopted crop technology in recent history.
The major GM crops were soybean, corn, cotton and canola. These crops have been modified for insect resistance to major pests, or to express herbicide tolerance.
The global market value of GM crops worldwide was $6.9 billion in 2007 and is projected at over $7.5 billion for 2008.
28. Which countries grow GM crops?
Globally, the USA dominates GM crop production, ahead of Argentina and Brazil, with other countries less involved. The global picture can be ranked accordingly:
- USA – 57.7 per cent
- Argentina – 19.1 per cent
- Brazil – 15 per cent
- Canada - 7 per cent
The remaining 19 countries, including Australia, grew approximately 16 per cent of the global area of GM crops.
29. Are there any GM crops grown in Europe?
Spain has been growing GM insect-resistant corn for the past six years, and it represents over seven per cent of the country’s corn crop.
Twenty GM products have been approved in the EU for different uses, some for cultivation, some for import and processing, some as feed and some as food. The crops involved include corn, canola, soybean and chicory.
Other GM foods are currently pending at different stages in the authorisation procedure, including products from GM corn, sugar beet and soybean.
30. Why is there so much resistance to GM products in Europe?
Consumers in Europe have seen some major crises involving their food supplies, such as Mad Cow Disease. As a result they have reduced confidence in their food safety and regulatory system and are very cautious about the use of new technologies like gene technology.
New regulations governing GM food and animal feed, labelling and traceability through the food chain were introduced in the European Union in April 2004. These laws govern the use of GM food, crops and feed for the 25 member countries represented under the EU structure.
31. Did gene technology cause Mad Cow Disease (BSE - Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy)?
Mad Cow Disease and gene technology are two completely separate issues. Many experts believe Mad Cow Disease has resulted from changing the diets of cattle and sheep. Traditionally cattle and sheep ate plants, today, however they are fed dietary supplements to boost growth and production. These supplements often contain rendered body parts of other cows and sheep. This may have allowed the infectious sheep disease Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE) to cross from sheep to cattle, as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) and into humans as variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD).
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