2015 saw decline in acreage used for GMO crops
Since the technology to use genetically modified crops became broadly commercialized in 1996, the world’s farmers have steadily and sharply increased their use of it. But 2015 saw a change in that aspect.
According to a non-profit that tracks the plantings of biotech seeds, the acreage used for the crops declined for the first time in 2015.
The organization points to low commodity prices as the main cause for the 1% decline from the 2014 levels. This led farmers to plant less corn, soybeans and canola of all types, both genetically engineered and non-engineered.
But the figures for the last few years show that the existing market for the crops has nearly been saturated.
The United States, Brazil, and Argentina are the only three countries that account for more than three-quarters of the total global acreage. And only four crops — corn, soybeans, cotton and canola — account for the majority of biotechnology use in agriculture. In many cases, more than 90 percent of those four crops grown in those three countries, and in other large growers like Canada, India and China, is already genetically modified, leaving little room for expansion.
Source: NY Times
Category: Features, Technology & Devices
