Canadian Farmers Plant Record-Breaking Acres of Biotech Crops

Last year Canadian farmers planted close to 21 million acres of canola, more than 97 per cent of which was enhanced through biotechnology, according to a report from the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA).

“It’s not surprising that Canadian farmers continue to embrace genetically modified crops. Farmers see the benefits in terms of improved yields and quality, environmental sustainability and efficiency,” says Lorne Hepworth, president of CropLife Canada.

The majority of canola, corn and soybeans planted in Canada are biotech varieties. Canada now ranks fourth on the list of countries that plant biotech crops in terms of acres planted, up from fifth the previous year. Last year Canadian farmers planted close to 29 million acres of biotech crops, which puts Canada behind only the United States, Brazil and Argentina.

“Canadian farmers are some of the most innovative and forward-looking in the world. They use tools like plant biotechnology to help them produce one of the safest, most abundant food supplies in the world,” says Hepworth.

In 2012, millions of farmers in 28 countries around the world planted biotech crops. The global area of biotech crops has increased one-hundred-fold since they were first commercialized in 1996.