Special Issue on Agri-biotech Studies from Policy and Regulatory Perspectives: Preface

Abstract

Genetically modified (GM) crops, often referred to as biotech crops, have made phenomenal progress in both industrial and developing countries during the last 18 years (1996 to 2013). The first biotech crops with two commercial traits—insect resistance (IR) and herbicide tolerance (HT)—were commercially planted by six founding countries in 1996, and this led to a new era of crop production. The United States, Canada, Argentina, Mexico, China, and Australia were the first to approve the commercial planting of Bt cotton and HT soybean.