Report Highlights Asia and Oceania Agricultural Biotech Adoption in 2024

The Asia and Oceania region has emerged as a central powerhouse in global agricultural biotechnology, cultivating 20.81 million hectares across nine pioneering nations in 2024. According to ISAAA Brief 57 Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops in 2024, this expansion represents nearly 10% of the world's total biotech crop plantings, driven by aggressive growth and major regulatory milestones. India continues to dominate the global market in Bt cotton, while China is rapidly accelerating the commercial scale-up of GM maize and soybeans following extensive approvals. Further driving innovation, Australia made global history by granting the first regulatory approval for a disease-resistant GM banana alongside new climate-resilient crop traits.

Despite this overall momentum, adoption dynamics vary significantly across individual countries in the region. Pakistan and Myanmar have mirrored India's cotton success with adoption rates surpassing 94%, while Southeast Asian nations like the Philippines and Vietnam maintain steady, robust growth in biotech maize production. Conversely, the market faces local hurdles, evidenced by decelerating momentum for Bt brinjal in Bangladesh and persistently low adoption levels in Indonesia.

To assist industry leaders, investors, and researchers in navigating this evolving landscape, ISAAA has released the Biotech Facts and Trends: Asia & Oceania report, available for US$15.