Brazil: Agricultural Biotechnology Annual

Brazil is the second-largest producer of biotech crops in the world with 115 events approved. Post forecasts the total area planted to GE crops reached over 56 million hectares during the recently completed crop year of 2020/2021. Adoption rates for soybeans reached 98 percent, 88 percent for corn, and 80 percent for cotton. According to Brazilian government data, the average yields for grains and oilseeds increased by 70 percent during the past 15 years, with continued use of biotechnology seeds being a major contributor to this yield growth. The National Technical Commission (CTNBio) is responsible in Brazil for new technologies such as GE animal technology, gene editing including CRISPR technology and microbial biotechnology. In addition to GE plants, this report provides updates on several aspects of these new technologies.