Bangkok--19 Jul--Biotechnology Alliance Association TODAY BIOTECH CROPS MADE REDUCTION ON CO2 EMISSION EQUIVALENT TO REMOVING 3.6 MILLION CARS FROM THE ROAD FOR ONE YEAR 2006 marked the first year of the second decade of commercialization of biotech crops, 2006-2015. Farmers have consistently increased their plantings of biotech crops by double-digit growth rates every single year since biotech crops were first commercialized in 1996. The increase of 12 million hectares or 75 million Rai between 2005 and 2006 was the second highest in the last five years, and equivalent to an annual growth rate of 13% in 2006.The global area of approved biotech crops in 2006 was 102 million hectares (637.5 million Rai). A historic milestone was reached in 2006, biotech crops were grown by approximately 10.3 million farmers in 22 countries in 2006. The accumulated area of biotech crops planted in the last eleven years, 1996 to 2006, exceeded 500 million hectares (577 million hectares) for the first time. Remarkably, the global biotech crop area increased more than sixty-fold in the first eleven years of commercialization, equivalent to more than half of the total land area of China, making biotech crops the fastest adopted crop technology in recent history. The continuing rapid adoption of biotech crops reflects the substantial and consistent improvements in productivity, the environment, health, economics, and social benefits realized by both large and small farmers, consumers and society in both industrial and developing countries. A new study by Graham Brookes and Peter Barfoot, two UK based economists, quantifies the cumulative economic and environmental impacts of biotech crops grown during the past decade (1996-2005). This is one of the first studies published in “ISAAA Briefs (36) GM Crops: The First Ten Years — Global Socio-Economic and Environmental Impacts” to quantify the cumulative global impacts of biotech crops during the first decade of production. Global accumulated economic impact of biotech crops for the decade 1996 to 2005, in terms of net economic benefits to biotech crop farmers, was $27 billion or 931,500 million Baht ($13 billion for developing countries and $14 billion for industrial countries). In order to assess the environmental impacts of GM crops, the authors calculated changes in pesticide use with GM crops compared with non GM crops for each year data was available in countries where GM crops were grown. In addition to quantifying changes in total pesticide volume used in GM crops, they also quantified changes in the ‘environmental footprint’ with GM crops by using an environmental index quotient (EIQ). The EIQ is an indicator which has been previously cited in the published literature by other scientists. After just ten years of commercialization, biotech crops hade made significant, positive impacts on the global environment. Farmers used almost half a billion lbs (224 m kg) less pesticide with GM crops since 1996, a reduction of 7%. This represents about 40% of the annual volume of pesticides used in the European Union. (Table 1.) The global ‘environmental impact’ of pesticide use has been reduced by over 15% due to the planting of biotech crops. The authors further reported that GM crops resulted in a significant reduction in the emission of CO2 into the environment. This reduction in CO2 emissions with biotech crops comes from two sources. First, they report a reduction in the use of diesel fuel in GM crops, due to a reduction in pesticide spray applications and a reduction in plowing. In 2005, the carbon dioxide savings from reduced fuel use in GM crops was close 1 billion kg. Second, they report an increase in the amount of carbon held, or sequestered in the soil due to a reduction in plowing associated with biotech crops. This accounted for a reduction of 8 billion kg of carbon dioxide emissions in 2005. The authors report that these two factors contribute to a combined reduction of over 9 billion kg (20 billion lb) of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere due to GM crops in 2005. This reduction is equivalent of removing almost 3.6 millions cars from the road for one year. The report confirms that farmers earned higher incomes in every country where biotech crops are grown. In 2005, farmers who planted biotech crops earned over 5 billion in incremental income compared with growers who planted non biotech crops Since 1996, global farm income from biotech crops increased by a cumulative total of $27 billion from a combination of higher productivity and reduced costs. Farmers in developing countries captured the majority of the extra farm income from biotech crops, mostly from insect resistant cotton and herbicide tolerant soybean. KEY FINDINGS: After just ten years of commercialization, biotech crops hade made significant, positive impacts on the global environment. Less pesticide with GM crops since 1996, a reduction of 7% in the European Union and 15% reduction to the Global. Biotech crops made a significant contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural practices by 9 billion kg of carbon dioxide. This is the equivalent of removing almost 3.6 million cars from the road for one year. In addition to environmental gains, substantial net economic benefits were achieved at the farm gate level by farmers who planted biotech crops. Since 1996, global farm income increased by a cumulative total of $27 billion from a combination of higher productivity and reduced costs. Note: Graham Brookes is a specialist in agricultural economics, agricultural policy, evaluation, trade and marketing and assessing the economic impact of new technology. Media Inquiries: Biotechnology Alliance Association Tel. 0-2940-5264 Click for photo release at www.thaipr.net