Singapore, Oct 16, 2006: International Service for the Acquisition of Agri biotech Applications (ISAAA) reports that the next decade is set to see a global doubling in biotech crop availability.

ISAAA chair Clive James said that by 2015 it was estimated that the number of countries growing biotech crops would "at least double", from 21 in 2005 to around 40.

The ISAAA report predicts that the number of biotech farmers globally will increase from 8.5 million currently to 20 million, while the global area planted with genetically modified crops will increase from 90 million hectare to 200 million hectare.

Most growth in biotechnology during the next ten years was expected to occur in key developing countries of Asia, led by China and India, as well as in Pakistan and Vietnam. This would show a marked global expansion from the previous decade's focus on the Americas.

Mr James pointed out that Brazil also had an enormous potential of becoming the leading genetically modified crop producer in Latin America, while the number of biotech countries in Africa was expected to increase "modestly" beyond the current South African monopoly.

Biotechnology has improved productivity and income, with yields reporting an increase of 5% to 40%, and total biotech crop production in 2005 reached some $50 billion.

Another impact of genetically modified agriculture has been the protection of biodiversity, said James, since doubling crop production on the same area of land played a significant role in saving forests.

Another environmental impact has been a reduction in the need for 'external inputs', such as pesticides, and the conservation of soil and water, which paved the way to sustainability.

Biotechnology has also contributed to a stability of yield, with promising progress having been made with drought tolerance.