Biotech Facts:
Biotech crops – otherwise known as genetically modified or GM crops – are the most extensively tested food crops available today, and their safety has been endorsed by scientific and regulatory agencies around the world – including the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Health Canada and the Royal Society of London.
Biotechnology is good for farmers, for consumers and for the environment.
For farmers, biotechnology means more choices for disease resistance and pest control, drought and stress tolerance and increased yields. Biotech crops are also being developed to deliver health benefits, such as alternatives to trans fats, healthier oils and improved nutritional content like enriched vitamin content, to consumers, while the introduction of no-till farming and biotech crops means the preservation of soil, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and is beneficial for the environment.
According to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA), global biotech crop acres have reached 282.4 million acres in 23 countries in 2007, an increase of 12 percent from 2006.
Domestic acceptance of biotech crops has also continued to rise, with the biotech crop acreage in Canada increasing in 2007 to over 17 million acres from 15 in 2006 (ISAAA). The majority of this increase can be attributed to three main crops – soybeans, corn and canola. CropLife Canada released two new reports outlining the successful introduction of GM corn and soybean into the Canadian marketplace showing that GM soy and corn varieties now each command approximately 65 percent of the total acres grown.
Plant Biotechnology in Canada
Learn how plant biotechnology offers great potential for agricultural sustainability and the safe production of foods
Plant Biotechnology. A Secondary School Teacher's Resource Manual
A complete manual to help teachers present the facts about the growing field of biotechnology. Sample activities are included.
Learn more about the global growth of biotech crops
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