London (April 13th, 2005) – Estimates for 2004 show that the cultivation of GM crops took place on 81 million hectares worldwide, up by 20% compared with 2003. The commercial cultivation of GM crops began in about 1995.

A new study has shown that currently more than 26 million hectares of farmland worldwide are under organic management, an increase of 11% over the previous year. Certified organic production started in the 1940s.

Sources:

1. ISAAA Briefs 32-2004: Preview: Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: 2004 (http://www.isaaa.org)

2. The World of Organic Agriculture - Statistics and Emerging Trends 2005 (http://www.fibl.org/english/index.php)

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