Ten years of GM crops in Australia

10-year anniversary of first GM crops Australia Monday, 28 November 2005

Australia’s agricultural industry came together on Friday to mark the tenth anniversary of biotech crops in Australia and around the world. Since the first planting of commercial biotech crops, over one billion acres have been grown globally. Approximately 250,000 hectares of biotech cotton were planted in the 2004-05 season in Australia alone. Since the first plantings 10 seasons ago, the global hectarage of biotech crops has grown at double-digit rates every year.

In 2004, GM crops had expanded to the extent that 8.25 million farmers in 17 countries grew them. Developing countries, in particular, are voting with their feet and planting biotech crops because they offer what they need more of: increased income for the rural poor derived from the higher productivity of food, feed and fibre crops, Friday's meeting was told.

Dr Jim Peacock, former chief of CSIRO Plant Industry, said the success of biotech cotton in Australia had been due to an effective partnership including the CSIRO, CSD, Monsanto, the CRDC, growers through the ACGRA and the regulatory bodies. “ These partnerships embrace the equation of successful agriculture - G, M and E. That stands for the three pillars - genetics, management and the environment.

"The benefits of biotechnology we have seen so far, such as a reduction in insecticide use of over 80pc are huge.