A new report from the European Commission’s Joint Research Center estimates that the number of genetically modified (GM) crops will reach 124 by 2015, compared to 33 in 2008, and will include GM rice and potato, which are not currently commercialized. GM cotton will account for the largest number of GM crops in 2015, with 27 GM cotton events and 24 maize events. Insect resistance will continue to be the most popular trait for GM crops and is expected to be in 57 GM crops by 2015, compared to 21 last year. New traits expected to appear in GM crops by 2015 are crop composition (mainly type and proportion of oil and starch content), abiotic stress tolerance (primarily drought), disease resistance, nematode resistance and fungus resistance. US and European companies have developed 24 GM crops as of last year, while Asian companies have developed 9. By 2015, Asian private and public enterprises are expected to have developed 54 commercial GM crops, the US and Europe to have developed 67, and Latin America to have developed three. Due to the changing market and development of stacked traits, the possibility of the low-level presence of unapproved GM crops in imported food will increase.

Source: Joint Research Center