Growth of biotech crops increased 10% to 148 million hectares in 2010. Twenty-nine countries planted biotech crops, with the top ten countries each growing more than one million hectares, led by the US, Brazil and Argentina. Biotech crops with stacked traits were planted in 11 countries, 8 of which were developing countries. Developing countries, led by China, India, Brazil, Argentina and South Africa, grew 48% of biotech crops in 2010 and are expected to surpass industrialized nations in their plantings of biotech crops by 2015. The number of plantings of herbicide-tolerant, stacked-trait and insect-resistant biotech crops grew 7%, 13% and 21% to account for 61%, 22% and 17% of the global biotech area, respectively. Biotech soybean was the primary biotech crop in 2010, occupying 50% of the global biotech area, followed by biotech maize with 31%. According to Cropnosis, in 2010 the market value for biotech crops increased 6% to $11.2 billion to account for 22% of the crop protection market and 33% of the commercial seed market.

Source: International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications