Where GMOs Are Grown

Farmer

Think only U.S. farmers grow GMO crops?  You might be surprised to know that while each country has its own regulatory process for both the cultivation and sale of GM products, as of 2016, GMOs are grown, imported and/or used in more than 75 countries across the globe.

As of 2016, 5.3 billion cumulative hectares of biotech crops have been planted since 1996.  This includes a wide variety of crops and countries, including maize in Spain, Bt cotton in Sudan, eggplant in Bangladesh, soybeans in Bolivia and more.  The top five countries planting biotech crops by hectarage are the U.S., Brazil, Argentina, Canada and India.    

A single GM seed goes through numerous regulatory reviews in countries all over the world.  Extensive databases on the international approval processes for GMOs as well as details on the safety and environmental testing done by companies bringing these products to market are readily available to the public. 

To see examples of specific genetically modified products and the countries where they have received approvals, click here.

(Image Credit: The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications)