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Agricultural Biotechnology Gaining Support in Europe
EU biotech cultivation in 2008 + 21% in 1 year* |
||||
| In hectares | 2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
| Spain | 53,225 |
53,667 |
75,148 |
79,269 |
| France | 492 |
5,000 |
21,147 |
- |
| Czech Republic | 150 |
1,290 |
5,000 |
8,380 |
| Portugal | 750 |
1,250 |
4,500 |
4,851 |
| Germany | 400 |
950 |
2,285 |
3,173 |
| Slovakia | - |
30 |
900 |
1,900 |
| Romania | 110,000 (Soybean) |
90,000 (Soybean) |
350 (Maize) |
7,146 (Maize) |
| Poland | - |
100 |
320 |
3,000** |
| Total | 55,017 |
67,187 |
110,077 |
107,719 |
| Total (excl. France) | 54,525 |
62,187 |
88,903 |
107,719 |
| *France not included **To be confirmed by Government Source: EuropaBio |
||||
The 27 agriculture ministers of the European Union are meeting this week to discuss the European farming sector. EuropaBio, the biotech industry association, released figures on biotech crop cultivation in Europe. The data demonstrates that more EU farmers are choosing to go biotech to boost their competitiveness, despite a 10-year moratorium on new product approvals.
The total area cultivated with biotech crops in the EU in 2008 is 107,719 hectares in seven countries. This represents a 21% increase over 2007. The cultivated acreage of biotech crops has increased more than ten fold in Poland and Romania in 2008, doubled in Slovakia, and increased by 68% in the Czech Republic compared to 2007. In Spain, where most of the EU's biotech crops are grown, the cultivated acreage increased by 5%. Spain now has 11 years of experience with agricultural biotechnology.
The only biotech crop currently allowed to be grown in the EU is one type of Bt maize. It contains a gene that allows the plant to defend itself against the European corn borer, an insect pest present primarily in southern and central Europe.
"We are delighted to see that the uptake of biotech crops continues to grow substantially every year in many EU countries even though no new crops have been approved for cultivation since 1998. EU farmers are clearly interested in the products of biotechnology. We hope that the EU's Institutions including the agriculture ministers are taking note and will start approving products again in response to their farmers' needs and the advice of their own safety authority," said Nathalie Moll, EuropaBio's Executive Director of GBE.
There are around 50 products awaiting approval in the EU, 19 of which are for cultivation. "We strongly urge Europe's policy makers to end the 10-year moratorium on cultivation approvals and give European farmers equal rights to their global competitors to choose the products which they believe are best to protect their crops and increase their competitiveness." said Jerome Peribere, the CEO of Dow AgroSciences..
Biotech crops are an important tool for farmers to increase crop productivity while decreasing the impact on the environment and natural resources. Two hundred and nine (209) biotech crops are under cultivation or development in 46 countries around the world. Many of these crops, after being grown by non-EU farmers, can be imported into Europe and used as food or feed.
October 1, 2008