The US-based International Service for the Acquisition of Agrobiotechnology Applications (ISAAA) recently launched its annual report on the spread of genetically modified (GM) crops around the world. In its usual upbeat style, the ISAAA claims that biotechnology continues to be a growing choice among farmers. ISAAA says: Worldwide, the area grown to GM crops increased by 12%, or 6 million hectares, in 2002. Reality check: The area grown to GM crops around the world in 2002 was 58.7 million hectares, which is still less than 2% of the total agricultural land around the world. ISAAA says: Nearly 6 million farmers in 16 countries chose to plant biotech crops in 2002, up from 5 million farmers in 13 countries in 2001 “This high adoption rate is a strong vote of confidence in biotech crops, reflecting farmers' need for and satisfaction with the technology” says Clive James, ISAAA's chairman and founder. Reality check: 99% of the GM crops planted globally in 2002 were in only four countries, and the US was responsible for twothirds of all GM plantings (see graph below). ISAAA says: GM cotton maintained its global area of 6.7 million hectares; GM maize area grew 27% to 12.2 million hectares, GM canola (oilseed rape) area increased 11% to 3.0 million hectares, and GM soybean production grew 10% to 36.1 million hectares, exceeding more than 50% of the global soybean crop area for the first time. Reality check: The GM product range is still extremely limited, with only four commercial crops available - soy, maize, canola and cotton. The range of characteristics in GM crop plants is extremely limited, with only two commercial traits available – herbicide-tolerance, and/or insect resistance. As Bob Phelps of the Australian GeneEthics Network points out, “The GE industry constantly promises better nutrition, longer shelf life, drought and salt tolerance, and many other claimed benefits, but none of these has come true and there is no evidence in the ISAAA report that they ever will.” ISAAA says: Continued near-term growth in global area grown to of biotech crops and in the number of farmers who will use the technology. Reality check: GeneEthics suggests that “North American farmers' experiences of patchy production, lower profits and lost markets is a better guide to the future of GM crops than the ISAAA report”. “Global Status of Commercialised Transgenic Crops: 2002,” by Clive James, ISAAA Brief No. 27, can be obtained from [email protected]. Price $US 35 including postage; free to nationals of developing countries. See also www.isaaa.org