In 2016, the total biotech crop area of 49.1 million hectares in Brazil comprised: 32.7 million hectares biotech soybean, 15.7 million hectares biotech maize, and 0.8 million hectares biotech cotton.

Of the 52.6 million hectares total area planted to soybean, maize, and cotton in Brazil in 2016, 93.4% was biotech.

Biotech soybean had the highest hectarage, and was planted in 32.7 million hectares, up from

30.3 million hectares in 2015, equivalent to 7% growth, and 96.5% adoption rate.

Biotech maize remained the second important crop with a total of 15.7 million hectares for both summer (5.3 million hectares) and winter (10.4 million hectares), an increase of 16.1% from 2015, and 88.4% adoption rate.

Biotech cotton was planted in 0.8 million hectares in 2016, an increase of 14.3% over 2015, and 78.3% adoption rate.

The economic benefit to Brazil from biotech crops for the 10-year period (2003-2015) was US$16.4 billion and US$2.5 billion for 2015 alone (Brookes and Barfoot, 2017).

Adoption of biotech crops in brAzil

Biotech soybean occupied 96.5% of the 33.8 million hectares total soybean area in Brazil in 2016. The 32.7 million hectares biotech soybean comprised: 12.4 million hectares herbicide tolerant and 20.3 million hectares stacked IR/HT.

The 15.7 million hectares biotech maize in Brazil in 2016 is comprised of 3.7 million hectares IR, 0.68 million hectares HT, and 11.32 million hectares IR/HT. Biotech maize adoption in summer is 82.3%, or 5.3 million hectares, and 91.8% in winter, or 10.4 million hectares.

Of the 0.8 million hectares of biotech cotton planted in Brazil in 2016, 12.1% is IR, 24% is HT, and

brazil is the second largest producer of biotech crops in the world, next to the Us, planting 49.1 million hectares of biotech crops in 2016.

biotech countryfActs & trends Brazil

benefits from biotech crops in brAzil

Agricultural biotechnology was first adopted in Brazil 20 years ago. Céleres® has studied and analyzed the economic benefits resulting from the use of this technology for the last seven years. Based on field studies, it is estimated that since the introduction of agricultural biotechnology in Brazil in the 1996/97 to the 2012/13 crop period, the economic benefits to users of this technology have reached US$24.8 billion.

Another annual global study of benefits from biotech crops covering a different period (2003 to 2015) concluded that Brazil gained US$16.4 billion in 2003 to 2015, and US$2.5 billion for 2015 alone (Brookes and Barfoot, 2017).

conclUsion

Brazil obtained the highest increase of 11% or 4.9 million hectares of biotech crops in 2016. The adoption rates of biotech soybean, maize, and

42.3% is IR/HT, with a total of 79% adoption.

fUtUre prospects

National and multinational companies and public sector research institutions in Brazil are developing various biotech crops, including beans, sugarcane, potatoes, papaya, rice, and citrus. Except for beans and sugarcane, most of these crops are still in early stages of development.

In 2011, Brazil approved two homegrown virus resistant biotech beans that can resist the golden bean mosaic virus. The varieties are of the “carioquinha” type with transgenic event Embrapa 5.1.

A team of scientists from Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, the Brazilian National Research Agency, evaluated the nutritional components of the beans in the primary transgenic line, as well as lines derived from crosses and backcrosses of the transgenics with two commercial cultivars. The results revealed that the transgenic bean event was nutritionally equivalent to the non-transgenic bean plants, and the nutritional components are the same as those observed for several commercial bean varieties. Variety registration trials have been completed, but planting has not commenced yet.

FuturaGene Brasil Technology Ltd., developed a fast growing GM eucalyptus with 20% higher productivity (between 30-40% percent) for use in other applications, such as bioenergy. Despite environmentalist opposition and vandalism attacks on their experimental greenhouses in Sao Paulo, this GM Eucalyptus was approved for commercial release by the CTNBio in April 2015, but specific plans for commercialization have not been outlined at this time.

cotton almost reached market saturation at 93.4%. IR/HT soybean Intacta™ has gained popularity among the farmers because of the savings in pesticide and the no-till technology, thus, the increased hectarages. Maize hectarage may expand with the increasing need by the pork and livestock industry for feeds. New products waiting to be commercialized are biotech eucalyptus, sugarcane, and virus resistant bean.

soUrce

ISAAA. 2016. Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: 2016. ISAAA Brief No. 52. ISAAA: Ithaca, New York.

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