Biotech crops reached 160 million hectares in 2011, up 12 million hectares on 8 % growth, from 2010. The US continued to be the largest producer of biotech crops with 69.0 million hectares, followed by Brazil with 30.3 million hectares. A 94-fold increase in hectarage since 1996 makes biotech crops the fastest adopted crop technology in the history of modern agriculture. More than half the world’s population, 60 % or ~4 billion people, live in the 29 countries planting biotech crops. Developing countries grew close to 50 % of global biotech crops.
Global Area of Biotech Crops
(Million Hectares, 1996–2011)
Biotech Crop Countries and Mega-Countries*, 2011
Adoption by Crop, 2011
Adoption by Trait, 2011
