May 2026, AU: Improved performance and market characteristics continue to drive grower uptake of diverse genetically modified crops worldwide.
Genetically modified (GM) technologies continue to deliver increased crop productivity, according to new data.
The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) has released the latest statistics regarding the use of GM crops around the world.
The ISAAA report says 223 million hectares of GM crops were planted in 2024 across 44 countries. This has risen from 190.4 million hectares of GM crops in 2019, when the last report was released.
Since 1996, 29 countries have approved GM crops for food or feed imports.
More than 90% of GM crop varieties are planted in the US, Brazil, Argentina, India and Canada. The 4 dominant crops are soybean, maize, cotton and canola varieties.
Beyond these, more than 30 GM commodities have been approved worldwide, including lucerne, safflower, Indian mustard and rice.
Recently approved GM technologies include:
- insect-resistant and drought-tolerant varieties of TELA maize in Nigeria
- a disease-resistant banana developed and approved in Australia
- a yield-enhanced eucalyptus approved in Brazil
- novelty ornamental ‘glowing’ petunias in the US.
Latin America has surpassed North America in global GM crop production, with significant plantings across Brazil and Argentina, particularly of soybean, maize and cotton varieties. ISAAA predicts continued growth across these countries because of recent cultivation approvals for drought-tolerant wheat and sugarcane varieties in these markets.
Agrifood investment overlooked
The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) positioned sustainable and resilient agrifood systems as a vital solution for meeting food security goals at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in November 2025.
FAO Director-General Dr Qu Dongyu argued that science-based solutions were available to address food insecurity and malnutrition in an environmentally sustainable way.
Crops improved through gene technology were one solution presented by the FAO, including the development of crops with increased photosynthetic, drought and water use efficiency, and the ability to withstand flooding. Dr Qu warned that overlooking agrifood systems for investment meant leaving one of the most effective pathways to low-emission growth untapped.
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