Council for Biotechnology Information

12 million farmers choose to plant genetically modified (GM) crops on 114 million hectares, says international report

As Canada enters its 13th planting season, its farmers and scientists remain one of the world's biotechnology leaders. While developing countries such as India and China are experiencing exponential growth, Canada's high adoption rates places it in fourth place in terms of overall hectares planted to GM crops. … more


	View past front page features

	December 19, 2008 New GM canola still years away - Western Producer				December 1, 2008 The Wonder Women of Africa – Homemakers.com
	October 30, 2008 Consumers warm up to biotechnology – Western Producer				October 28, 2008 Canadians buy into biotechnology – Guelph Mercury
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What's New:

				As combines roll out to harvest canola, corn and soybeans across Canada, it’s an appropriate time to take stock of the achievements that agriculture has made due to biotechnology know-how.
				The hard currency of biotechnology at work around the world is translated into simple things: a water well, a motor scooter, books and school uniforms.
				Thanks to biotech research, the reality of commercialized drought-tolerant plants is only three or four years away.

What's New:

Food companies such as Kentucky Fried Chicken and Taco Bell have recently announced switching their cooking oils to those without trans fats. It's no surprise to biotech researchers and farmers who have been preparing for this day for years.

				Showing that it all starts with the seed, the Green Kitchen symbolized the convergence of biotechnology to improve food, feed, fibre and fuel production.
				Sorghum has no currency on world commodity markets, yet the status of the close cousin to corn is about to change if biotechnology is successful in fortifying the grain with higher protein levels and digestibility.
				Anti-aging, anti-cancer properties are just two of the many consumer benefits resulting from boosted vitamin E levels in foods.

What's New:

Brazil's embrace of biotech-improved soybeans continues to make headlines as it doubles its biotech acreage and increases sales to a European Union highly regulated in genetically modified foods.

				Aaron Beattie's studies have taken him around the world and back to Saskatoon in search of disease-resistant barley.
				In the global game of high-tech agriculture, where 18 countries have already adopted biotech crops and another 45 are testing them, Canada is clearly a gold medal winner.
				Receptive consumer markets in Japan, Mexico and the United States encourage growers to plant biotech crops with their improved production practices such as no-till farming.

What's New:

Hard work seems to be part of the DNA common to the winners of the Young Scientist Footsteps Awards.

				Just back from a lecture tour in India, Sanjeeva Srivastava maintains a front-line perspective on the food needs of his homeland.
				Are you a scientist in graduate school doing agricultural biotechnology research that has the potential to benefit consumers? Discover the Young Scientist Footsteps Award.
				Food or fuel? Common crops are developing different values as society slowly replaces petrochemicals with plant-based oils.