GM crops: Reaping the benefits, but not in Europe - Europabio

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4 2. GLOBAL IMPACTS AT FARM LEVEL CAN 15 MILLION FARMERS BE WRONG? “You’re not going to spend money on a specific seed unless it has real benefits.” Paul Temple, UK farmer (2 March 2011, Brussels) In countries where farmers are allowed to grow GM crops, they increasingly choose to do so. In 2010, 15.4 million farmers in 29 countries cultivated GM crops 2 . This is more than twice the number of farms in the EU. Most of these farmers stick to the technology once they have tried it themselves. 93% of Spanish farmers who grew GM maize in 2010 said they would do again in 2011. In 2010, GM crops were cultivated on 148 million hectares worldwide, which is roughly equivalent to the combined landmasses of France, Spain and Germany. It is more than the entire area of arable land in the EU 3 . Global cultivation of GM crops – by crop million ha. 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 SOYA MAIZE COTTON RAPESEED Boosting farm income and production 2003 2004 2005 “Biotech crops can increase productivity and (farmer) income significantly, and hence, can serve as an engine of rural economic growth that can contribute to the alleviation of poverty for the world’s small and resource-poor farmers.” 4 Independent research into the economic impacts of GM cultivation demonstrates clear benefits. The net global economic benefits at the farm level added by cultivating GM rather than conventional varieties have been estimated at $10.8 billion in 2009 – the equivalent of adding 5.8% to the value of global production of the four main crops of soya beans, maize, cotton and rapeseed. Combined benefits for a 14-year period (1996 to 2009) have been calculated at $64.7 billion 5 . GM crops have also made important contributions to increasing global production levels of the four main crops. To achieve the same level of production without the use of GMOs in 2009, an additional total area of 12.4 million hectares – equivalent to nearly the entire surface of England – would have been needed (including 5.6 million ha for maize and 3.8 million ha for soya beans) 5 . The enormous uptake in GM crop cultivation can only be explained by the real and genuine advantages that these crops offer farmers. 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Source ISAAA
Average global income gains ($/ha) for 1996-2009 period for the four main crops 6 SOYA BEAN MAIZE COTTON RAPESEED 42 22 26 39 Global cultivation of GM crops – by country Global acreage with genetically modified crops by country, 1996-2010 million ha. 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 1996 1997 1998 Small farmers benefit too Some say that only big farmers benefit from GM crops. Yet over 90%, or 14.4 million, of the farmers who grew GM crops in 2010 were small, resource-poor farmers in developing countries 7 . Farm size has not been a factor affecting their choice 8 . FAST FACTS 1999 2000 GMO cultivation worldwide and in the EU (2010) 9 2001 2002 2003 USA BRASIL ARGENTINA INDIA CANADA CHINA PARAGUAY PAKISTAN 2004 2005 World EU Number of farmers cultivating GM 15.4 million (under) 6000 Number of countries with GM cultivation 29 8 Surface of GM fields 148 m ha 0.091 m ha Change in surface of GM from 2009 to 2010 Up 10 % Down 3.5 % Total arable land 1.500 m ha 102 m ha 2006 2007 SOUTH AFRICA 2008 2009 2010 OTHERS Source ISAAA 5
Page 1 and 2: GM crops: Reaping the benefits, but
Page 3: 1. INTRODUCTION Biotech crops growi
Page 7 and 8: Patents and Royalties Biotech compa
Page 9 and 10: Almost all of today’s agricultura
Page 11 and 12: Bt maize and insecticides A signifi
Page 13 and 14: Revenue foregone by EU farmers, by
Page 15 and 16: 7. IMPORTS, GM TRACES AND IMPACTS O
Page 17 and 18: Biotech Crop Countries and Mega-Cou
Page 19 and 20: 10. SOURCES 1 Reuters, 15 April 201

GM crops: Reaping the benefits, but not in Europe - Europabio

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