FACTS AND FIGURES—TRANSGENIC CROPS

Global area of transgenic crops (ex China) in M hectares

  1995 — 0

  1996 — 2

  1997 — 11

  1998 — 28 of which 20 M in USA (rest comprise nine countries)

1998
Crop	M Hectares	Per cent transgenic of total (not of crop)
Soybeans	14.5	52
Corn	8.3	24
Cotton	2.5	9
Canola	2.4	9
Potato	0.1	6	(20,000 hectares, Bt,
			Yvirus, Pot leaf role)

1998

  20,000 hectares of Bt maize have been grown in Spain

  2,000 hectares of Bt maize have been grown in France

  15,900 tonnes of maize were imported into Spain from the 1997 US harvest

  Argentina:

Bt corn. Cotton

  Canada:  Main crop is Canola

  USA:

It has been estimated that the financial benefit to US farming is $465 million. Market value of transgenic crops in 1998: $1.2 billion.

Mexico	Total 117 field trials
Corn	38
Tomato	23
Cotton	17
Soybean	9
Squash	6
Potato	5
Papaya	4

  The Largest number of tests were carried out by Monsanto (31).

Deregulated Status—Mexico

Tomato—Calgene (FlavrSavr)

Zeneca

Soybean Oil—Modification

Potato—Bt

To date worldwide:

25,000 field trials

60 crops

45 countries

Monsanto figures

RR Soybean

1997 —

1.4 million hectares, Argentina

3.6 million hectares, USA

1998 —

10 million+ hectares (30 per cent) in USA

Yieldguard corn

4 million hectares (12 per cent USA)

China

  Transgenic Tobacco first planted in 1992, still shows good viral resistance in the field after 6-7 generations.

  1995 30,000 hectares plants

30,000 hectares microorganisms (N₂ fixation)

  Recent data on size of planting difficult—no central office for collecting data.

  1997 was first year when applications had to be made for prior approval for commercialisation/large-scale release.

Approval for commercialisation

Tomato

— antisense

CMV

Sweet pepper

— CMV

Petunia

Cotton

— Bt toxin (Chinese)

— Bt (Monsanto)

Carp

— growth hormone

Microorganisms (2)

— N₂ fixation

86 applications for release were submitted in 1998, 70 approved for field release/commercialisation.

  FDF's foodfuture programme, launched in 1995, aims to improve public understanding of modern food biotechnology. Foodfuture has initiated wider discussion of the technology—the perceived benefits and the concerns. Foodfuture provides information and develops dialogue with key opinion forming groups. Foodfuture involves a range of activities:

PUBLICATIONS

  A series of booklets and fact sheets explain, objectively, the technology and its applications. The foodfuture interactive disk has been received by all secondary schools.

WEBSITE

  The foodfuture website has received almost a million visits since its launch in 1997.

MEDIA PROGRAMME

  Foodfuture adopts a proactive approach to media relations, targeting all sectors of the UK media aiming to promote media debate and ensure that issues are handled objectively.

ADVERTORIALS

  Foodfuture advertorials are published in national and community based publications to raise awareness of the issues. Examples include Daily Mail and BBC Good Food Magazine.

EXHIBITIONS AND ROADSHOWS

  The Science Museum Future Foods? Exhibition is supported by FDF, MAFF and BBSRC. Launched by the Ministers for Public Health and Food Safety, it is currently on tour around the UK visiting large visitor centres.

  In addition, foodfuture messages and materials are distributed direct to the public via a national roadshow visiting 23 major retail centres this year.

FOODFUTURE QUESTION TIME DEBATES

  Foodfuture is conducting a series of regional discussion forums, following the Question Time format. The general public are invited to quiz a panel of experts representing all sides of the biotechnology debate. These events have been endorsed by both Jeff Rooker MP, Minister for Food Safety and by John Battle MP, Minister of State DTI.

Audience Feedback:

  Sixty-six per cent of those responding to the audience evaluation questionnaire felt the event was useful to extremely useful in helping them find out more about GM and 75 per cent reported they would recommend similar events to their friends/family.