On a worldwide basis, the Institute ISAAA has been providing annual statistics since the introduction of GM crops in 1996, pointing to the double-digit growth rate of the areas planted with biotech crops, amounting to 102 million hectares in 2006 and cultivated by 8.5 million farmers in 22 countries. This growth rate is one of the highest rates of crop technology adoption ever seen in agriculture. Notably, 90 % of the farmers cultivating GM plants were low-income farmers from developing countries. How GM crops will contribute to meet the Millenium Development Goals– to reduce poverty by half the proportion of people who suffer from hunger by 2015 -  will be an important conclusion of the next decade of GM cultivation.

In 2005, the global market value of biotech crops, estimated by Cropnosis, was $5.25 billion representing 15% of the $34.02 billion global crop protection market in 2005 and 18% of the ~$30 billion 2005 global commercial seed market. The $5.25 billion biotech crop market comprised of $2.42 billion for biotech soybean (equivalent to 46% of global biotech crop market), $1.91 billion for biotech maize (36%), $0.72 billion for biotech cotton (14%), and $0.21 billion for biotech canola (4%). The market value of the global biotech crop market is based on the sale price of biotech seed plus any technology fees that apply. The accumulated global value for the ten-year period, since biotech crops were first commercialized in 1996, is estimated at $29.3 billion. The global value of the biotech crop market is projected at over $5.5 billion for 2006.

For full breakdown of latest figures, visit www.isaaa.org