1. ISAAA
Global Status of Commercialized
Biotech/GM Crops, 2011
by
Margaret Karembu
Director, ISAAA Africenter
m.karembu@cgiar.org
23rd February 2012
OFAB-KENYA
2. Overview of Presentation ISAAA
• COMMERCIALIZATION 1996 to 2011
• GROWING IMPORTANCE OF DEVELOPING
COUNTRIES – Brazil
• IMPACT OF BIOTECH CROPS (1996 to 2010)
• FUTURE PROSPECTS – 2012-2015 (MDG)
3. ISAAA – www.isaaa.org ISAAA
A Not-for-Profit Charity, co-sponsored by public and private sector organizations
ISAAA is a Pro-Choice Organization
• Share knowledge freely on crop biotechnology
whilst respecting the rights of others to make their
own decisions; ensure that the global society is well
informed about the attributes and potentials of the
new crop biotech applications
• MISSION – Contribute to poverty alleviation by
increasing crop productivity and income generation,
particularly for small resource-poor farmers and to
ensure a safer and more sustainable environment
4. THE Challenge – DOUBLE Crop Production by
ISAAA
2050 on LESS resources – water, N2, etc
• NO SINGLE APPROACH can feed >9 billion in 2050 & >10 B in 2100
• Conventional crop improvement ALONE will not double crop production
by 2050 – GM/BIOTECH CROPS NOT A PANACEA but essential
• Successful strategy must have MULTIPLE APPROACHES that address
all the principal issues that include:
• Population stabilization – Africa 3.6 B in 2100 out of 10.1 B
• Improved food distribution systems, and less wastage
• A Technology Component is ESSENTIAL – A crop
improvement STRATEGY THAT INTEGRATES the BEST of the
OLD (CONVENTIONAL) and the BEST of the NEW (BIOTECH)
to optimize productivity and CONTRIBUTE to food, feed and
fiber security and address climate change
7. Global Area (Million Hectares) of Biotech Crops,
2011: by Country ISAAA
Biotech Mega Countries
50,000 hectares (125,000 acres), or more
Million Hectares
1. USA 69.0
2. Brazil* 30.3
3. Argentina* 23.7
4. India* 10.6
5. Canada 10.4
6. China* 3.9
7. Paraguay* 2.8
8. Pakistan* 2.6
9. South Africa* 2.3
10. Uruguay* 1.3
11. Bolivia* 0.9
12. Australia 0.7
13. Philippines* 0.6
14. Myanmar* 0.3
15. Burkina Faso* 0.3
29 countries which have adopted 16. Mexico* 0.1
Increase over 2010 17. Spain 0.1
biotech crops
In 2011, global area of biotech Less than 50,000 hectares
crops was 160 million hectares,
8% representing an increase of 8%
Colombia*
Chile*
Czech Republic
Poland
Romania
Sweden
over 2010, equivalent to 12 million Honduras* Egypt* Costa Rica*
hectares. Portugal Slovakia Germany
Source: Clive James, 2011. * Developing countries
9. OVERVIEW OF DEVELOPING
COUNTRIES versus INDUSTRIAL, 2011 ISAAA
• 19 out of 29 biotech countries were Developing
• For first time dev countries planted 50% of global area
• Expected to exceed industrial country hectares in 2012
• Brazil largest gain worldwide – 4.9 M Ha, 19% of global
• Top 7 Developing countries planted >2 M Ha each
• Growth rate twice as fast 8.2 M Ha (11%) vs 3.8 M Ha (5%)
• ~16 M small biotech farmers, up ~1.3 M from 2010.
• 1996-2010 Econ gain $39.2 B; in 2010 $7.7 vs $6.3 in Industrial
Source: Clive James, 2012
10. ISAAA
Brazil in Latin America
Land Area: 850 M Ha
Population: 195 Million
Arable land: 59 M Ha
Commercialized Biotech
Crops: HT soybean, Bt
cotton and Bt maize
Biotech Crops Hectarage:
30 M Ha
11. BRAZIL – THE LEAD DEVELOPING
COUNTRY ISAAA
• Ranked #2 with 30.3 M Ha equivalent to 19% of global area of 160
M Ha in 2011
• Biotech Soy >20 M Ha (83% adoption), biotech maize >9 M Ha
(65% adoption) and biotech cotton >0.5 M Ha (39% adoption)
• Largest hectare gain worldwide for third consecutive year – 4.9 M
Ha equivalent to 19% growth in 2011
• Economic gain 2003-2010 – $4.6 B; $1.2 B in 2010 alone
• EMBRAPA is Ag. R & D organization with cooperative programs
in Africa – CTNBio is regulation agency
• Former President Ignacio Lula da Silva awarded World Food Prize
in 2011 for alleviating Poverty and Hunger
Source: Clive James, 2012
12. BRAZIL – THE SRATEGIC ELEMENTS ISAAA
INSTITUTIONAL STRENGTHS
• EMBRAPA – Strong biotech program, well-resourced
• CTNBio – Effective & timely deregulation – 14 products
approved in 2010/2011
DIVERSIFIED SOURCE OF PRODUCTS 3 product streams
Private – Proprietary products deployed on 30 M Ha
Public/Private – Joint effort of EMBRAPA/BASF has already
resulted in approved HT soybean
Public – EMBRAPA has already developed and approved home-
grown virus resistant biotech bean
• 3 product streams, minimizes opportunity cost and maximizes
impact
Source: Clive James, 2012
14. Case Study – Biotech cotton in Burkina Faso
ISAAA
Pictures: SOFITEX cotton company, Dec 2011
15. Case Study – Biotech cotton in Burkina Faso
ISAAA
• Total cotton hectarage in Burkina(424,810 ha)
• In 2011, ~247,000 (58%) hectares Bt cotton planted, from
260,000 hectares in 2010
Slight decline of 5% (or 13,433ha)-
Key reasons for decline :
• Farmers dissatisfied with purchase price offered for their 2010
cotton(245 CFA/Kg~0.5 USD for Bt or non Bt cotton)-Desired
price:500CFA/Kg~1USD)
• Farmers discouraged by rising costs of fertilizer
• Poor agronomic practices
• Erratic rains after planting
~ 76,000 farmers planted Bt cotton
• Adoption rate for Bt cotton: 58%
16. Biotech cotton in Burkina Faso
ISAAA
Estimated economic benefit from Bt cotton - over US$100
million/yr based on yield increases of close to 30%, plus at least
50% reduction in insecticides sprays, from a total of 8 sprays to
only 2 to 4 sprays for Bt cotton
18. GLOBAL IMPACT OF BIOTECH CROPS
Source: Brookes and Barfoot, 2012 Forthcoming; Clive James, 2012 ISAAA
• IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY AND INCOME – Farm income gains of
$78 B from 1996 to 2010, of which 40% was due to cost reduction and
60% due to a production gain of 276 M tons; benefits conservative due
spill-over from biotech to conventional.
• PROTECT BIODIVERSITY – 276 M tons would require additional 91 M
Ha – biotech is a land saving technology. Strategy is to double crop
production on same area of 1.5 B Ha of crop land – saves
forests/biodiversity – 13 M Ha lost/year.
• ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT – Reduce need for external inputs
– Saving of 443 M kg pesticides from 1996/2010 – 9% saved
– Saved 19 B kg C02 in 2010 - contribution to climate change
– Conservation of soil & WATER thru biotech + no/low till
• HUMANITARIAN BENEFITS
– Contribution to poverty alleviation of ~15 M small resource-poor
farmers in 2011 & welfare benefits emerging
19. ISAAA
THE FUTURE
2012 - 2015
THE REMAINING FOUR YEARS OF THE
SECOND DECADE OF
COMMERCIALIZATION
2015, The Millennium Development Goal Year
20. THE FUTURE – 2012 - 2015
NEW & IMPROVED BIOTECH CROPS ISAAA
• Several new biotech crop options --- 3 examples
• 2012 – first stacked HT/IR soybean, particularly Brazil
• 2013 – first drought tolerant maize in US; in Africa ~2017
• 2013/14 – Golden Rice in the Philippines; US, omega 3 soy
• Other candidates before 2015 include: several dual-action
products for more effective & durable pest and weed
management; and possibly biotech sugar cane in Indonesia
• Biotech applications for “Speeding the breeding” – MAS and
others, plus biotech crops, to provide a faster response to
more severe and rapid changes in climate
22. Implementation of APPROPRIATE REGULATION is a
MUST to spur adoption of biotech crops in AFRICA ISAAA
Source:Compiled by Clive James, 2012
EGYPT EGYPT
UGANDA UGANDA
BURKINA
FASO MALI
KENYA
KENYA
BURKINA TANZANIA
FASO
MALAWI
TOGO
NIGERIA
NIGERIA SOUTH
SOUTH AFRICA
AFRICA
2011 (3 countries) 2015 (up to 10 countries)
South Africa, Burkina Faso South Africa, Burkina Faso,
and Egypt Egypt, Kenya, Uganda, Mali,
Togo, Nigeria,, Ghana
Ongoing Biotech Crop Field Testing
and possibly Malawi
23. Way forward for Africa ISAAA
Biotech crops are a product of
INNOVATION
“the ability to manage change as an
opportunity, not as a threat”
We therefore need to communicate
with society objectively and
consistently