Global statistics are available from summary reports published by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA) - www.isaaa.org (English) and the Biotechnology Industry Organization - www.bio.org (English).
Thirteen countries grew genetically modified crops commercially in 2000, and of these, the United States produced the majority. In 2000, 68% of all GMO crops were grown by American farmers. In comparison, Argentina, Canada and China produced only 23%, 7% and 1% respectively. Other countries that grew commercial GMO crops in 2000 were: Australia, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Mexico, Romania, South Africa, Spain and Uruguay.
In 2007, 114.3 million hectares of the world were sown with GM crops.
Soybeans and corn are two of the most widely grown crops (82% of all GMO crops harvested in 2000). 74% of these GMO crops were modified to resist herbicides, 19% were modified to resist insect pests, and 7% were modified to resist both herbicides and insects. Globally, the area where GM crops are grown has increased 25-fold in just 5 years, from approximately 4.3 million hectares in 1996 to 109 million acres in 2000 (almost twice the size of the UK). About 99 million acres were devoted to GMO crops in the US and Argentina alone.
In the US, approximately 54% of all soybeans grown in 2000 were genetically modified, up from 42% in 1998 and only 7% in 1996. In 2000, genetically modified cotton varieties accounted for 61% of the total cotton harvest, up from 42% in 1998 and 15% in 1996. The share of GMO corn has obviously undergone no less sharp increase. The amount of genetically modified corn increased to 25% of all corn grown in 2000, about the same in 1998 (26%), up from 1.5% in 1996. As expected, the amount of pesticides and herbicides used on these GMO varieties has decreased and yields have generally increased (for details, see the UDSA publication on
Every year the picture of fields sown with GMOs changes around the world. Some countries are expanding such acreage, while some, on the contrary, are completely abandoning modified crops.
Here is a list of countries that have banned genetically modified crops in one form or another:
In the United States: In California alone, Mendocino, Trinity and Marin counties have successfully banned GM crops. Voters in other California counties tried and failed to pass similar measures.
In Australia: Several Australian states have banned GM crops, but most have since lifted these bans. Only South Australia still has a ban on GM crops; Tasmania has extended the moratorium until 2029.
In Japan: The Japanese are strongly against genetically modified crops and no GM seeds are planted in the country. Nevertheless, a large number of canola is imported from Canada (one of the world's largest producers of GM canola) and currently wild GM canola grows around Japanese ports and roads to large food companies. Genetically modified canola, such as Monsanto's Roundup Ready canola, was found growing around 5 of the 6 ports tested for GM contamination.
In New Zealand: no genetically modified ones are grown in the country.
In Germany: There is also the sale of GMO corn.
In Norway (added in 2015): In 2014, she wrote a law on genetic technology, according to which the cultivation and sale of GMOs is prohibited in the country. The county of Oppland has been declared GMO-free.
In Ireland: All GM crops were banned for cultivation in 2009 and a voluntary labeling system was introduced for products containing genetically modified food products, which are identified as such.
In Austria, Hungary, Greece, Bulgaria, Luxembourg And Italy: There are bans on the cultivation and sale of GMOs.
In France: Monsanto's GM was previously allowed in the country, but its cultivation has been banned by the government since 2008. There is widespread mistrust among the public towards GMOs.
In Madeira: The small, autonomous Portuguese island had asked for a nationwide ban on genetically modified crops and the EU allowed it last year.
In Switzerland: The country banned all GM organisms from its fields and farms following a public referendum in 2005, but the initial ban was passed for five years. In 2010, the ban was extended by Parliament until 2013 and again in 2012 until 2017. In March 2017, the ban on GMOs was extended until 2021.
In India: The government at the last moment imposed a ban on GM eggplants, which were planned to be planted in 2010. However, farmers were encouraged to plant Monsanto's genetically modified cotton, with devastating results. The English newspaper Daily Mail reported that approximately those who planted GM seeds committed suicide due to crop failure and huge debts.
In Thailand: the country simultaneously supports and opposes GM crops. The country imported GM papaya from Hawaii, where it was undergoing large-scale testing, but the country changed its plans when the seeds went wild and began contaminating nearby crops. As a result, some countries such as Japan have made attempts to restrict the import of papaya from Thailand, not wanting to import any genetically modified food products. Thailand is currently trying to cover both sides - producing organic food for some countries at a high price, although there is a noticeable trend towards growing GM crops. The country has also tried to declare some areas GMO-free zones in order to increase the level of trust among other countries in their food products.
Which countries are already using GM crops?
USA currently mainly grows GM lines of corn, canola and soybeans. GM papaya is now growing in Hawaii. Approvals have also been given for modified lines of alfalfa, squash, sugar beets and tomatoes, although not all are currently grown. A recent attempt to approve GM salmon failed.
China is one of the largest producers of GM crops.
Germany, Sweden and Czech Republic approved for growing GM potatoes.
Government Finland and the population are sensitive to genetically modified products. No GM crops are grown in the country as no approved GM crops are suitable for cultivation in the country due to weather conditions.
Government Zambia launched a campaign to get the public to support GM technology.
Canada widely uses GM crops. Almost all Canadian canola is GM, as is most soybeans and corn. Prince Edward Island tried and failed to ban GMO cultivation and currently grows GM crops there.
Spain currently grows GMO corn (about 20% of the country's corn is modified).
Czech Republic, Slovakia, Portugal, Romania everyone grows GMO corn.
Philippines grow GM crops.
Pakistan Since 2008, it has been growing genetically modified Bt cotton from Monsanto (cotton with the gene of the Bt bacterium (Bacillus Thuringiensis), since 2013 - GM eggplant, other crops are being approved.
European Union (EU) approved the cultivation of some GM crops (including potatoes and corn), but individual countries may refuse to grow them. However, most EU countries do not have the right to refuse the sale of genetically modified foods.
South Africa increases the number of GM crops grown.
England officially supports GM crops and conducts trials with already planted GM potatoes. However, there is widespread public mistrust of crops and Prince Charles has strongly opposed GMOs.
South America widely uses and grows GM crops.
As mentioned above, Thailand alternately supports and rejects GM crops.
India also makes extensive use of genetically modified cotton. It was mentioned above that the growth of Monsanto's genetically modified cotton crops led to tragedies throughout India. The Indian government even banned some common seeds from government seed banks in an attempt to please Monsanto (in return the country was given International Monetary Fund loans to boost the economy) and reduce poverty in the country. About 1,000 farmers in the country committed suicide every month due to crop failure and debt caused by growing genetically modified seeds. Farmers, after listening to Monsanto's promises of increased yields and pest resistance, were often willing to spend more money for “magic seeds” than regular seeds cost. Despite the promises, crops were often attacked by bollworms. In addition, farmers were not warned that crops required double more water than regular cotton, which caused many crops to dry out. Also, GM seeds had to be re-purchased for each new sowing season. Farmers accustomed to saving seeds year after year often found themselves in financial difficulties that led to insurmountable debt.
How to check whether seeds are GMO or regular hybrids?
There are two ways:
1. Find laboratories in your city that perform such analysis and order an analysis for them at your own expense. Perhaps there are such laboratories at the Sanitary and Epidemiological Station, perhaps somewhere else. I don’t have exact information on this yet, but I’ll look for it.
2. Plant seeds taken from the F1 harvest and check in practice - if the plant produces at least some fruits, then it is a regular hybrid, if there are no fruits at all, it is a 100% GMO hybrid. Since one of the characteristics of GMO seeds is complete sterilization of plants - i.e. the second generation will simply bloom exclusively with male flowers and produce no fruit at all. Therefore, those who bought hybrids and tried to get second-generation seeds from them, but were faced with such a phenomenon as the absence of fruits at all - this means that they used seeds from GMO plants.
Why do GMO seeds produce sterile plants in the second generation?
Plant sterility is one of the main characteristics of GMO seeds. This is due to the fact that producers of GMO seeds are aimed at obtaining constant profits from their sales. Farmers, knowing about the sterility of GMO hybrids, are forced to constantly purchase such seeds from their manufacturers, which provides a constant and fairly large income. It is precisely for the reason of profitability that GMO producers sterilize their seed products at the genetic level.
This property of plant sterility is manifested in the fact that the second generation taken from GMO plants will produce exclusively male flowers.
What is the danger of planting seeds of GMO hybrids and conventional varieties?
If plants tend to cross-pollinate among themselves, then such a danger exists. If a regular variety is cross-pollinated with a GMO hybrid, you can lose your variety completely, as it will not only lose the purity of its variety, but will also dramatically lose its yield, which will ultimately lead to its complete degeneration.
Corn, legumes, peppers, and cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, rapeseed, radishes, turnips) are especially easily pollinated. By the way, our fields are often sown with rapeseed using GMO seeds, which prevent its re-sprouting in the third year. Those. Having sowed rapeseed in the fields, in the second year the plants will be sterile and in the third year the field will be completely cleared of both the rapeseed itself and the weeds that the rapeseed suppresses during growth.
It is very easy to purchase corn from GMO producers. Corn is one of the first and one of the main crops that has undergone such genetic processing. GMO producers, knowing this, were able to make millions in profit from those farmers whose fields were pollinated by theirhybrids. Knowing the ease of cross-pollination of corn, GMO producers did a DNA analysis of these farmers' plants and, naturally, the tests turned out to be positive, as a result of which the GMO producers sued the farmers for very large sums of money, accusing them of deliberate cross-pollination.Hundreds of farmers not only went bankrupt because of this, but also committed suicide, unable to pay such huge sums. Other farmers went bankrupt, losing all their harvests as a result of accidental cross-pollination of varieties and GMO hybrids.
Why are GMO seeds attractive to farmers?
Despite all the events described above, GMO seeds are still attractive to those would-be farmers who care exclusively about monetary profit based on the “here and now” principle. After all, GMO seeds have properties and qualities that are not yet available to conventional varieties - this includes resistance to diseases, resistance to chemical treatments, these are high yields and beautiful fruits, their hardness and increased shelf life of products - after all, they are genetically programmed for this.
Such fruits, of course, are more attractive for sales and therefore farmers prefer to grow GMO plants rather than domestic varieties.
This choice is dictated by business conditions, which focus on fast and big profits, to the detriment of the moral and ethical side.
GMOs are most widespread in such socially poor countries as Argentina, Brazil, China, and India. Now Ukraine and Russia have joined them. Other countries, such as Holland, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Germany, also grow GMO plants, but not for the domestic market, but to import their products into these same socially poor countries.
The USA surpasses all countries in sowing and producing GMO products. After all, this is where the main areas and bases of MONSANTO are located, and that’s where it all began... It would seem that this is not a poor country, why does GMO flourish in it? You can look for the answer on the Internet, where some sources indicate that the Rothschilds and some representatives of the US government, interested in big profits, are behind this company.
If GMOs are so harmful, why is it becoming so widespread around the world?
GMO producers actively bribe and even physically eliminate their opponents, as evidenced by numerous publications in the Western press. They pursue their aggressive policy against dissenters and those who scientifically criticize their products.
But, despite such an aggressive promotion policy, many Western farmers categorically refuse to grow GMO products on their territory. They organize themselves into communities called GMO-Free Zones. And in Lately There are more and more such farmers in the West.
Here I provide a map of the distribution of GMO plants across the world. The figures indicate sown areas in millions of hectares. data on Russia, as always, is classified, which gives the impression that it is free from GMOs. :)
However, Russia is the country where the main products of GMO vegetables are exported, here is the map:
On the debate about the benefits and harms of consuming GMOs in the scientific and public world:
Disputes between the usefulness and harmfulness of GMO plants have been going on in the scientific and public world since the creation of the technology itself. However, this debate is about nothing. Evidence of the harmlessness of GMO products is provided by the producers of GMO seeds themselves. Naturally, they are extremely interested in pushing their products onto the market, so you cannot trust their evidence base - of course.
Scientists different countries, who conducted research on experimental animals, identified numerous side effects from the consumption of GMO plants, in particular such an effect as sexual dysfunction in experimental mice, up to sterility in subsequent offspring (remember the sterility of GMO seeds), congenital deformities, reduced life expectancy in mice, starting from the second and third generation, etc. .d.
Here are the results of the experiments of individual scientific researchers:
However, such research was often abruptly stopped or the evidence was destroyed with special care due to the same aggressive policies of GMO producers, who have a trail of crimes against them. scientific organizations who disagree with the results of research by GMO producers themselves.
It is precisely because of the dangers of consuming GMO products that many countries actively resisted the introduction of these products into their markets.
Japan, whose standard of living is quite high and, being one of the most developed countries in the world, is an active opponent of the introduction of GMO plants into its market. The cultivation of GMO seeds is prohibited in the country, although the supply of imported products is not excluded. The average life expectancy of the Japanese is 80 years - this is one of the highest rates in the world (especially compared to our 62 years and 72 for the Americans). If GMO plants were truly harmless to people, then Japan would be one of the first to introduce them into its production and distribution, just as it introduces all scientific developments in electronics and technology. But, apparently, she, better than anyone, understands the unsafety of such products. However, if her government is bribed, then, most likely, she will give up her position before the onslaught of the MONSANTO corporation, which uses not so much marketing promotion as financial and political influence on individual members of the government.
But despite this, they continue to be produced on a huge scale.
Let's talk about which products may contain GMOs and which countries are leading in their production.
Main products containing GMOs
The list of GMO products is headed by soybeans, cotton, corn and canola - in that order. If we talk about soybeans and cotton, then about 81% of all crops consist of GM crops.
The most popular changes in plants: resistance to pests, herbicides (and both changes at once), extension of shelf life, frost resistance.
List of GMO products that are produced in slightly smaller (but not small!) volumes:
Around the world, about 170 million hectares are sown with GM crops, with most of them belonging to five GMO producing countries: the USA, Brazil, Argentina, Canada, India.
China is coming on India's heels in the production of GM seeds.
In a number of countries, the production of GMOs is prohibited, but sale is allowed (as in the EU).
Interesting fact: In Ukraine, until recently, manufacturers and suppliers were required to label all products that do not contain GMOs. Even those in which, by definition, they do not exist, such as mineral water. The production of GMO seeds and products on our territory is prohibited.
Unfortunately, this does not mean that there are no GMO products in Ukraine. They are simply imported into our country illegally, bypassing official registration.
Sometimes genetic engineering tries (sincerely tries) to solve society's problems. For example, the so-called “golden rice” was invented, containing a large amount of beta-carotene and rice with increased content absorbable iron. In the human body, beta-carotene is converted into vitamin A. Vitamin A and iron could significantly help the poor population of Asia suffering from vision problems.
Pest-resistant potatoes with the introduced Bt endotoxin gene, taken from the genome of the bacterium B. thuringiensis, caused very heated debate among organic supporters. They did this because Bt toxin is safe for animals, but dangerous for Colorado potato beetles. Thus, the new potatoes no longer needed to be sprayed with a preparation made from whole bacterial cells, and it was precisely the spraying that posed a danger to living organisms, such as you and me.
Almost all fast foods use GMO products. There are just as many of them in baby food, chocolate and sauces.
Add to list famous companies, producing products with GMOs, we got: (in brackets I will indicate their most famous brands)
In our society (I mean the modern world community) there are a lot of problems besides food quality and GMOs. Well, for example, the amount of food in general. As many as 842 million hungry people would be happy with any GM product. For them there is no question of choosing between organics, conventional products grown using chemicals or GMOs.
In fact, developing countries where children are dying of hunger are deprived of this choice.
And since there are no officially recognized conclusions about the dangers of GMOs, their production and use continue to expand.
Highly developed countries (Europe, Japan) are categorically against growing food genetic engineering on its territory. But the EU, for example, does not prohibit the sale of imported products containing modified genes.
The President of Russia signed a law banning the breeding and cultivation of genetically modified organisms in Russia. Such products can now only be imported into the country. Large fines are provided for domestic GMOs.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the federal law "On amendments to certain legislative acts Russian Federation in terms of improving state regulation in the field of genetic engineering activities."
bill No. 714809-6
accepted
at the last meeting before the holidays and the end of the work of the lower house of parliament of the current convocation, deputies State Duma
. The document was developed by the Government of the Russian Federation with the aim of streamlining the distribution of GMO products.
The bill establishes a complete ban on the cultivation and breeding of any plants and animals whose genetic program has been changed using genetic engineering methods. An exception is made only for the cultivation and breeding of such organisms for scientific purposes. Violators of the “permitted type and conditions of use” of GMO products will face administrative liability. Officials can pay a fine of 10 thousand to 50 thousand rubles, and their employers 10 times more - from 100 thousand to 500 thousand rubles.
No one has yet prohibited the import of genetically modified plants, animals, as well as their processed products into the country. Under the new rules, the government will have the right to impose such a ban if it identifies negative impact per person and environment one or another GMO product. This means that officials will independently evaluate and filter imported GMOs according to their own criteria. Currently, there is a government moratorium on genetic engineering on an industrial scale and the import of GMOs, but the law does not provide any punishment for its violation. As well as monitoring its compliance.
Russian Minister of Agriculture Alexander Tkachev advocates a complete ban on the development of any technologies that are in one way or another related to GMOs. He believes that the absence of GMOs in Russian products, confirmed at the legislative level, will make them more competitive in the global market. This is not about the health of Russian consumers, as one might think; rather, the minister is thinking about competition with American and European producers who use GMOs on a massive scale. Russian agricultural producers themselves, and, most importantly, scientists, do not agree with this position. What are they talking about?
journalists. Genetically modified plants and animals have existed on an industrial scale worldwide for more than 30 years. In Russia, this topic is not as developed as in the United States, but various developments are currently underway in this area. At the same time, genetic engineering, which is banned, serves not only agriculture, but also to other industries, for example, medicine.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has long recognized GMO methods integral part agricultural biotechnology. Direct transfer of genes responsible for useful traits is considered worldwide natural development selective work on plants and animals. One of the areas of application of transgenic plants is to increase their productivity by increasing resistance to pests. Planting such crops does not require the use of pesticides, so the products are safer for consumers and cheaper for agricultural producers. It should be noted that American farmers constantly use only transgenic seeds to produce crops. The new type of GMOs are no longer distinguishable from ordinary plants, and according to US laws, such plants and animals are no longer registered as GMOs.
Director of the Center for Agricultural and Food Policy of the Institute of Applied Economic Research of the Russian Academy National economy and civil services Natalya Shagaida
Scientists, for the most part, insist that it makes no difference either for the soil or for humans whether a plant is modified or not. The soil simply nourishes the plant and it does not matter what mutation it was subject to - natural or artificial. To the human body it also doesn’t matter what kind of DNA it digests into digestive system. Anything is destroyed equally, experts insist. In breeding and genetics, selection methods that are more unsafe for humans are known, for example, radiation mutagenesis, which no one, however, prohibits. Experts and scientists are confident that new law will harm not only farmers and the cost of their products, but also science in general. Russian technologies in this area they are already lagging behind Western countries, and the ban will throw them back several decades. After all, domestic science is a hostage to market relations. She works at what she gets paid for. Scientists will not want to work on projects that will not be in demand at the moment. Russian market. This means that not only GMO products will be under threat, but also recombinant safe medicines and vaccines, which are also based on genetic engineering.
Businesses are clearly interested in developing their own technologies, and not in reselling imported Western GMO products. After all, adapting the genetic codes of plants and animals is essentially a cheaper alternative to selection. Genetically modified crops have undoubted “economic” advantages and low cost, which attracts both farmers and retailers to them. Currently, even without direct bans, the share of domestically produced GMO products is quite small. It represents only 2.5% of the total food market. Taking into account financial crisis, inflation and a decline in the well-being of Russians, the demand for cheaper products may grow rapidly. And this niche will be filled by manufacturers from abroad. This is precisely why experts explain the absence of a complete ban on the import and sale of GMO products in Russia.
Russian farmers will have to develop breeding and increase the production of pesticides, herbicides and mineral fertilizers to increase the productivity of their crops. Whether they will be able to compete with cheap foreign products remains unknown.
