GMO industry group sees growing global acceptance

By Carey Gillam

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Feb 13 (Reuters) - Farmers around the world increased plantings of genetically modified crops in 2007, according to a biotech crop promotion group that said the controversial crops have delivered "substantial economic and environmental benefits" to the world's farmers.

The findings came under harsh attack Wednesday from biotech opponents, including Friends of the Earth, which issued a separate report claiming genetically modified (GM) crops have led to a large increase in chemical use and have failed to increase yields or tackle world hunger and poverty.

But Clive James, the chairman of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications, also known as ISAAA, said global acceptance of genetically modified crops was unstoppable.

"It's the fastest-adopted technology in agriculture as far as crops are concerned," said James. "If Friends of the Earth is right, then 50 million farmers over a 12-year period in 23 countries are all wrong."

The ISAAA report said corn, soybeans and other crops were planted on 282.4 million acres, or 114.3 million hectares, in 23 countries in 2007. That is in addition to the 29 countries that have granted regulatory approvals for biotech crops for import for feed and food use.

The 2007 plantings were up 12 percent from 2006, the second-highest increase in biotech crop area in the last five years, according to ISAAA, which receives funding from biotech companies such as Monsanto (MON.N: Quote, Profile, Research), DuPont's (DD.N: Quote, Profile, Research) Pioneer Hi-Bred International and Syngenta (SYNN.VX: Quote, Profile, Research), as well as a range of private organizations and governmental entities. About 9 percent of the biotech crop area was used for biofuel production, primarily in the United States.

ISAAA said the United States, Argentina and Brazil led the rest of the world in biotech plantings, though farmers in Canada, India, and China were also noted as "principal adopters" of biotech crops.

Biotech acreage is up because the crops have performed well and "delivered significant economic, environmental, health and social benefits to both small and large farmers in developing and industrial countries," the ISAAA report said.