By Amit Kapoor & Pradeep Puri
In 1994, a tomato changed the world! Flavr Savr, a tomato produced in California, USA, ushered in an era where science could modify crops at the genetic level. Since then, genetically modified (GM) crops have evolved from mere lab experiments to global agricultural staples, driven by breakthroughs in transgenics and gene editing.
In the initial two decades of GM crop commercialisation, global adoption was largely limited to maize, soya bean, and cotton. Eventually, the landscape expanded to include wheat, tomatoes, bananas, and alfalfa, each engineered for pest resistance, drought tolerance, and enhanced nutritional value. Yet, this transformation is far from uniform.
A world divided on GM crop adoption
As GM crops continue to reshape agriculture, countries around the world are charting vastly different paths, presenting a mosaic of GM crop adoption. While some countries are sprinting ahead with innovation, such as the US, others in Europe, Asia, and Africa are treading cautiously through layers of domestic regulations and public debate. Moreover, according to the World Health Organization, GM food consumption has no apparent adverse effects on human health, subject to sufficiently rigorous and long-term safety testing protocols. Still, the divergence in regulatory models and public sentiment is stark across the globe. It is particularly relevant for India to understand the root cause of this divergence as the country crafts its own road map for biotechnology in agriculture. Doing so will help ensure that policy decisions strike a balance between innovation, biosafety, and public trust in a rapidly evolving agricultural future.
In the US, approximately 75-80% of the processed foods, such as breakfast cereals, snacks, sweeteners, and cooking oils, contain ingredients derived from GM crops, indicating high indirect consumption. The US has not just accepted GM crops but rather embedded them in the agricultural mainstream, with over 95% adoption in maize, soya bean, and cotton, making it an established leader in biotech farming. What sets the country apart is its product-based regulatory model, overseen by the United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, and Environmental Protection Agency. Instead of focusing on how a crop is made, regulators assess the safety and impact of the final product. This approach has facilitated rapid commercialisation and innovation in gene-edited crops. Furthermore, private biotech giants like Bayer and Syngenta play a pivotal role, driving research, lobbying for favourable policies, and shaping global trade. The result? A thriving GM ecosystem that boosts agricultural productivity and, ultimately, fuels economic growth.
Likewise, in Latin America, GM crops are embraced as tools for economic growth and export competitiveness. Brazil and Argentina are global leaders, with expansive GM acreage and supportive policies. In 2023, Brazil marked a shift towards climate-resilient traits by approving drought-tolerant GM wheat (HB4) and soya bean. Flexible regulations and strong farmer support enable swifter adoption in the country. Brazil’s move to commercialise GM wheat could reduce its reliance on imports, indicating a strategic win for food security.
Moving across the Atlantic, the European Union (EU) maintains a cautious stance, with GM maize grown mostly in Spain. Guided by the precautionary principle, the EU enforces stringent regulations through the European Food Safety Authority. Mandatory labelling, traceability, and public consultation are central to EU policy, reflecting deep-rooted public scepticism and thus, GM food consumption is low in the region. In 2023, although the EU approved 13 GM crop transformants for food and feed, their cultivation remains limited. Nonetheless, the EU imports approximately 70% of all protein-rich crops used in the feed sector, most of which are GM, revealing a paradox between consumer sentiment and agricultural necessity.
In East Asia, consumer trust and food safety drive GM crop policy. South Korea and Japan rely heavily on imports. As of December 2019, no GM crops have been commercially cultivated in Korea. The country imported over 11 million tonnes of maize and 1.3 million tonnes of soya beans in 2022, dominated by GM varieties. Similarly, Japan sources nearly 100% of its maize and 95% of its canola from GM-producing countries. Although the ministry of health, labour, and welfare in Japan approved the herbicide-tolerant GM canola in 2023, domestic cultivation remained minimal, signalling cautious progress. Despite scientific acceptance, public scepticism and cultural preferences in Asia have kept GM farming on a tight leash.
Meanwhile, Africa presents a mixed picture. Countries like Sudan, Ethiopia, and Nigeria have approved Bt cotton, aimed at boosting yields and reducing pesticide use. However, progress is uneven due to limited infrastructure, weak biosafety laws, and public mistrust and misinformation. Thus, the continent is yet to fully embrace GM technology as a tool for food security and climate resilience, especially in drought- and pest-prone regions.
GM crop trade shapes global competiveness
Globally, countries like the US, Brazil, and Argentina are major exporters of GM crops, while South Korea, Japan, and China rely heavily on imports due to limited land and high food demand. This trade dynamic can create price imbalances and competitive pressures for local producers in importing countries due to the low production cost and high returns of GM crops.
As the global agricultural landscape is pivoting towards biotechnology, India stands at a critical juncture. Even though the country is still debating the scope of GM crop cultivation, it cannot afford to ignore the global momentum. The global trade imbalance could influence domestic policy, farmer competitiveness, and food sovereignty in India. The path forward lies not in extremes, but in a hybrid model anchored in scientific regulation, farmer empowerment, and transparent public engagement to safeguard biodiversity, strengthen food systems, and position Indian agriculture for global competitiveness. In this race for agricultural transformation, India must sow the seeds of trust, science, and sovereignty together.
The authors are respectively Chair and Fellow, Institute for Competitiveness