China has officially settled on biotech rice, announcing a two- to three-year registration/approval plan last fall. Beijing is reacting to obvious world trends in biotech, as well as China’s self interest in the grain trade. As with most things China does in agriculture, this move will have ramifications throughout the world.

Meanwhile, China is also proceeding with biotech corn to affect phytase content. As the world’s second largest corn producer, China has about 100 million farmers growing 74 million acres of the grain. Increasing prosperity in the country is creating an increased demand for animal protein, making maize a key resource. The improved phytase maize will allow China’s 500 million pigs and 13 billion chickens and other poultry to more easily digest phosphate, improving the animal’s growth and reducing the amount of the nutrient excreted. Currently, phosphate must be purchased and added to feed, and it contributes to environmental pollution.

Growth of biotech crops has been substantially higher in developing nations—13 percent, or 42 million acres, in 2009 compared to just 3 percent, or 5 million acres, in industrialized countries. As a result, almost half (46 percent) of the global acreage of biotech crops were planted in developing countries, where 13 million small farmers benefitted.

Brazil surpassed Argentina as the second largest grower of biotech crops globally. Impressive growth of 13.8 million acres to 52.8 million acres, up 35 percent from 2008, was the highest absolute growth for any country in 2009.