Food

 1. Clive James, Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: 2007, Brief 37 (Ithaca, NY: International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), 2007), p. 3. ISAAA is the only source tracking global GM crop area statistics; some critics have charged that its numbers are often inflated (see, for example, Friends of the Earth International (FOEI), Who Benefits from GM Crops? The Rise in Pesticide Use (Amsterdam: January 2008)).
 2. Worldwatch calculations based on 2007 “primary crops” grouping per each country in ProdSTAT section of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), FAOSTAT, at faostat.fao.org, updated 11 June 2008, and on James, op. cit. note 1, p. 5.
 3. James, op. cit. note 1, p. 10.
 4. Ibid., pp. 3–4. Country income levels based on World Bank classifications as of 15 November 2008, at web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/DATASTATISTICS/0,,contentMDK:20421402~pagePK:64133150~piPK:64133175~theSitePK:239419,00.html#Low_income.
 5. Clive James and A. F. Krattiger, Global Review of the Field Testing and Commercialization of Transgenic Plants, 1986 to 1995: The First Decade of Crop Biotechnology, Brief 1 (Ithaca, NY: ISAAA, 1996), p. 23; James, op. cit. note 1, p. 5.
 6. James, op. cit. note 1, p. 5; Clive James, Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: 2006, Brief 35 (Ithaca, NY: ISAAA, 2006), p. 6.
 7. Sean Hao, “Papaya Production Taking a Tumble,” Alaska Advertiser, 19 March 2006; Jim Christie, “Ban on Monsanto Genetically Modified Alfalfa Upheld,” Reuters, 3 May 2007; U.S. Federal Register, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, “Notice: Environmental Impact Statement; Determination of Regulated Status of Alfalfa Genetically Engineered for Tolerance to the Herbicide Glyphosate,” Docket No. APHIS-2007-0044, 7 January 2008, pp. 1198–1200.
 8. James, op. cit. note 1, p. 5.
 9. Ibid.
 10. Ibid.
 11. Ibid.
 12. James and Krattiger, op. cit. note 5, p. 23; James, op. cit. note 1, p. 5; James, op. cit. note 6, p. 6; Clive James, Global Status of Commercialized Transgenic Crops: 2005, Brief 34 (Ithaca, NY: ISAAA, 2005), p. 9; Clive James, Preview: Global Status of Commercialized Transgenic Crops: 2004, Brief 32 (Ithaca, NY: ISAAA, 2004), p. 11; Clive James, Preview: Global Status of Commercialized Transgenic Crops: 2003, Brief 30 (Ithaca, NY: ISAAA, 2003), p. 9.
 13. James, op. cit. note 1, p. 5; James, op. cit. note 6, p. 6.
 14. James, op. cit. note 1, p. 7.
 15. Ibid., p. 11.
 16. Jorge Fernandez-Cornejo and William D. McBride, with contributions from Hisham El-Osta et al., “Adoption of Bioengineered Crops,” Agricultural Economic Report, No. 810 (Washington, DC: Economic Research Service (ERS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), 2002), p. 4.
 17. James, op. cit. note 1, p. 11.
 18. Ibid.; James, op cit. note 6, p. 5; James, Global Status 2005, op. cit. note 12, pp. 34–35; James, Global Status 2004, op. cit. note 12, pp. 20–21; James, Global Status 2003, op. cit. note 12, pp. 17–18; Clive James, Preview: Global Status of Commercialized Transgenic Crops: 2002, Brief 26 (Ithaca, NY: ISAAA, 2002), p. 12; Clive James, Global Review of Commercialized Transgenic Crops: 2001, Brief 24 (Ithaca, NY: ISAAA, 2001), pp. 11–12; Clive James, Global Status of Commercialized Transgenic Crops: 2000, Brief 23 (Ithaca, NY: ISAAA, 2001), p. 10.
 19. Charles Benbrook, “Genetically Engineered Crops and Pesticide Use in the United States: The First Nine Years,” BioTech InfoNet, Technical Paper Number 7, October 2004; FOEI, op. cit. note 1; Fernandez-Cornejo and McBride, op. cit. note 16.
 20. Chris Boerboom and Michael Owen, “Facts about Glyphosate-Resistant Weeds,” The Glyphosate Weed and Crop Series, Glyphosate Stewardship Working Group, December 2006; Ian Heap, Weed Science, Glycines (G/9) Resistant Weeds By Species and Country, online database, at www.weedscience.org/Summary/UspeciesMOA.asp?lstMOAID=12&FmHRACGroup=Go, viewed 18 November 2008.
 21. Boerboom and Owen, op. cit. note 20; Bob Hartzler, “Glyphosate Resistance in the Cornbelt,” Iowa State University Weed Science Web site, at www.weeds
.iastate.edu/mgmt/2005/pennpaper.shtml, viewed 27 October 2008.
 22. James, op. cit. note 1, p. 11; Jorge Fernandez-Cornejo and Margriet Caswell, The First Decade of Genetically Engineered Crops in the United States, Economic Information Bulletin Number 11 (Washington, DC: ERS, USDA, 2006), p. 9; Roger W. Elmore et al., “Glyphosate-Resistant Soybean Cultivar Yields Compared with Sister Lines,” Agronomy Journal, March-April 2001, pp. 408–12.
23. Elmore et al., op. cit. note 22; International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD), Executive Summary of the Synthesis Report (Washington, DC: April 2008).
 24. Chad Heeter, “Seeds of Suicide: India’s Desperate Farmers,” Frontline/World: Rough Cut, 26 July 2005.
 25. James, op. cit. note 1, p. 12; Clive James, Global Review of Commercialized Transgenic Crops: 1998, Brief 8 (Ithaca, NY: ISAAA, 2001), pp. 34–37.
 26. World Health Organization (WHO), Modern Food Biotechnology, Human Health, and Development: An Evidence-Based Study (Geneva: Food Safety Department, 2005), pp. 12–17; Philip J. Dale, Belinda Clarke, and Eliana M.G. Fontes, “Potential for the Environmental Impact of Transgenic Crops,” Nature Biotechnology, June 2002, pp. 567–74; FAO, Report of the Panel of Eminent Experts on Ethics in Food and Agriculture, First Session (Rome: 2001); IAASTD, op. cit. note 23, p. 14.
 27. FAO, Potential Impacts of Genetic Use Restriction Technologies (GURTs) on Agricultural Biodiversity and Agricultural Production Systems: Technical Study (Rome: 2002); Sergio H. Lence and Dermot J. Hayes, “Technology Fees versus GURTs in the Presence of Spill?overs: World Welfare Impacts,” AgBioForum, vol. 8, nos. 2 & 3 (2005), pp. 172–86.
 28. FAO, op. cit. note 27; “Terminator Gene Halt a ‘Major U-Turn,’” BBC News, 5 October 1999; Transcontainer, “Transcontainer & Controllable Fertility,” fact sheet (Netherlands: undated).
 29. World Bank, World Development Report 2008 (Washington, DC: 2007), pp. 15, 177–78; FAO, “FAO Warns of ‘Molecular Divide’ between North and South; Biotechnology: The Gap between Poor and Rich Countries Is Widening,” press release (Rome: 18 February 2003).
 30. World Bank, op. cit. note 29, pp. 15, 177–78; WHO, op. cit. note 26, pp. 53–55; FAO, The State of Food and Agriculture: Agricultural Biotechnology, Meeting the Needs of the Poor? (Rome: 2004), pp. 25–39, 87–93.
 31. FAO, op. cit. note 29; FAO, op. cit. note 30.
 32. IAASTD, op. cit. note 23.
 33. FAO, op. cit. note 30, pp. 25–39.
 34. Worldwatch calculations based on Monsanto, “Biotechnology Trait Acreage: Fiscal Years 1996–2008F,” information sheet (St. Louis, MO: 25 June 2008), and on James, op. cit. note 1, p. 3; percent of seed market from ETC Group, Who Owns Nature? Corporate Power and the Final Frontier in the Commodification of Life (Ottawa, Canada: November 2008), p. 11.
 35. Center for Food Safety, Monsanto vs. U.S. Farmers: November 2007 Update (Washington, DC: 2007).
 36. Ibid.; Bernard Simon, “Monsanto Wins Patent Case on Plant Genes,” New York Times, 22 May 2004; Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steele, “Monsanto’s Harvest of Fear,” Vanity Fair, May 2008.
 37. Sarah Gardner, “Monsanto Makes the Case for GM Crops,” Marketplace, 4 June 2008.
 38. Andrew Pollack, “In Lean Times, Biotech Grains Are Less Taboo,” New York Times, 21 April 2008.
 39. IAASTD, op. cit. note 23.
 40. James, op. cit. note 1, p. 12.
 41. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Greenhouse Gas Impacts of Expanded Renewable and Alternative Fuels Use (Washington, DC: 2007).
 42. Carey Gillam, “Biotech Companies Race for Drought-Tolerant Crops,” Reuters, 14 January 2008; ETC Group, Patenting the “Climate Genes”…And Capturing the Climate Agenda (Ottawa, Canada: May/June 2008).
 43. African Agricultural Technology Foundation, “African Agricultural Technology Foundation to Develop Drought-Tolerant Maize Varieties for Small-Scale Farmers in Africa,” press release (Kampala, Uganda: 19 March 2008).
 44. Gio Braidotti, “Scientists Share Keys to Drought Tolerance,” Ground Cover Issue 72 (Barton, Australia: Australian Government Grains Research and Development Corporation, January-February 2008).
 45. James, op. cit. note 1, p. 13.
 46. Council of the European Union, “2898th Council Meeting: Environment (in Luxembourg),” press release (Brussels: 20 October 2008); Geoffrey Lean, “Safety Fears Prompt Europe to Consider First Ban on GM Crop,” (London) The Independent, 25 November 2007; Geoffrey Lean, “Europe’s Secret Plan to Boost GM Crop Production: Gordon Brown and Other EU Leaders in Campaign to Promote Modified Foods,” (London) The Independent, 26 October 2008.
 47. “France Halts Genetically Modified Corn,” Associated Press, 9 February 2008; James, op. cit. note 1, p. 13.
 48. James, op. cit. note 1, p. 12; World Bank, op. cit. note 29, p. 177.
 49. Alberta Velimirov, Claudia Binter, and Jürgen Zentek, Biological Effects of Transgenic Maize NK603xMON810 Fed in Long Term Reproduction Studies in Mice (Vienna: Austrian Ministry of Health, Families, and Youth, 2008).
 50. Jeff Randall, “Prince Charles Warns GM Crops Risk Causing the Biggest-Ever Environmental Disaster,” (London) The Telegraph, 12 August 2008.

1. U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO),
FAOSTAT Statistical Database, at faostat.fao.org,
updated 15 September 2006. The United Nations
recently revised the way it totals seafood to include
seaweeds and aquatic plants. So although the total
seems to be 15 million tons higher than reported in
Vital Signs 2006–2007, there has not actually been a
jump in total fish production.
2. FAO, op. cit. note 1.
3. Ibid.
4. B. Worm et al., “Impacts of Biodiversity Loss on
Ocean Ecosystem Services,” Science, 3 November
2006, pp. 787–90.
5. FAO, op. cit. note 1; U.S. Bureau of the Census,
International Data Base, electronic database,
Suitland, MD, updated 24 August 2006.
6. FAO, op. cit. note 1; Census Bureau, op. cit. note 5.
7. FAO, op. cit. note 1.
8. FAO, op. cit. note 1; Census Bureau, op. cit. note 5.
9. FAO, op. cit. note 1; Census Bureau, op. cit. note 5.
10. FAO, op. cit. note 1; Census Bureau, op. cit. note 5.
11. Nanna Roos et al., “Fish and Health,” in Corinna
Hawkes and Marie T. Ruel, eds., Understanding the
Links Between Agriculture and Health for Food, Agriculture,
and the Environment, 2020 Focus No. 13
(Washington, DC: International Food Policy
Research Institute (IFPRI), May 2006).
12. FAO, op. cit. note 1.
13. Figure of 30 percent from Meryl Williams, “The
Transition in the Contribution of Living Aquatic
Resources to Food Security,” Food, Agriculture, and
the Environment Discussion Paper 13 (Washington,
128 Vital Signs 2007–2008 www.worldwatch.org
Notes
DC: IFPRI, 1996); 6 percent from FAO, op. cit.
note 1.
14. FAO, op. cit. note 1.
15. Farmed versus wild fish from FAO, op. cit. note 1;
feed use from Jackie Alder and Daniel Pauly, On the
Multiple Uses of Forage Fish: From Ecosystems to Markets,
Fisheries Centre Research Reports (Vancouver,
BC: Sea Around Us Project, Fisheries Centre, University
of British Columbia, 2006).
16. Alder and Pauly, op. cit. note 15.
17. FAO, State of World Aquaculture 2006 (Rome: 2006).
18. FAO, op. cit. note 1.
19. Ibid.
20. Alder and Pauly, op. cit. note 15, pp. vii, 3.
21. Ibid.
22. Employment from FAO, The State of World Fisheries
and Aquaculture (Rome: 2004), pp. 22, 24.
23. Ibid.
24. Catch per fisher from FAO, The State of World Fisheries
and Aquaculture (Rome: 1998); more exacting
fishing techniques from Daniel Pauly and Jay
Maclean, In a Perfect Ocean (Washington, DC: Island
Press, 2006), p. 72.

1. U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO),
FAOSTAT Statistical Database, at faostat.fao.org,
updated 23 January 2007; FAO, Food Outlook
(Rome: December 2006), pp. 50, 51, 55.
2. FAO, FAOSTAT, op. cit. note 1.
3. Per capita figures calculated from ibid. and from
U.S. Bureau of the Census, International Data Base,
electronic database, Suitland, MD, updated 24
August 2006.
4. FAO, FAOSTAT, op. cit. note 1; Census Bureau, op.
cit. note 3.
5. FAO, Food Outlook, op. cit. note 1, p. 2.
6. Ibid., pp. 4, 5.
7. Ibid.
8. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Foreign
Agricultural Service, “Tightening World Grain Supplies
Push Prices to Decade High Levels,” in Grain:
World Markets and Trade (Washington, DC: November
2006); FAO, Food Outlook, op. cit. note 1, p. 11.
9. FAO, Food Outlook, op. cit. note 1, p. 13.
10. Ibid.
11. Ibid.
12. Ibid.; FAO, FAOSTAT, op. cit. note 1.
13. FAO, Food Outlook, op. cit. note 1, p. 9; U.S. share
from ibid., p. 52.
14. Dr. Keith Collins, chief economist, USDA, “Advancing
Renewable Energy: An American Rural
Renaissance,” U.S. Agriculture and the Emerging
Bioeconomy, presentation, 12 October 2006.
15. Renewable Fuels Association, “October Ethanol Production
Ties All-Time High Yearly Production,
Demand Up More than 25 Percent,” press release
(Washington, DC: 29 December 2006).
16. USDA, op. cit. note 8.
17. FAO, Food Outlook, op. cit. note 1, p. 4.
18. Ibid., p. 8.
19. Ibid., p. 10.
20. FAO, “Cereal Prices Surge to Highest Levels in
Decade, Strong Implications for Meat and Other
Agricultural Commodities,” press release (Rome:
7 December 2006).
21. Ibid.
SOYBEAN DEMAND CONTINUES TO DRIVE
PRODUCTION (pages 22–23)
1. U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO),
FAOSTAT Statistical Database, at faostat.fao.org,
updated 6 February 2007.
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid
6. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), “Soybean
Backgrounder,” at www.ers.usda.gov/publications/
OCS/apr06/OCS200601_Lowres.pdf, April 2006.
7. Ibid.
8. Ibid.
9. FAO, op. cit. note 1.
10. Ibid.
11. Ibid.
12. USDA, Production Estimates and Crop Assessment
Division, Foreign Agricultural Service, “Brazil:
2005/06 Soybean Area Projected to Decline,” at
www.fas.usda.gov/pecad/highlights/2005/09/brazil
_12sep2005/, 12 September 2005.
13. Ibid.
14. FAO, op. cit. note 1.
15.World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), “Problems:
Forest Conversion,” at www.panda.org/about
_wwf/what_we_do/ forests/problems/conversion
/index.cfm, 18 June 2006.
16. KeShun Liu, Soybeans: Chemistry, Technology, and Utilization
(Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen, 1999), p. 25.
17. USDA, op. cit. note 6.
18. Liu, op. cit. note 16.
19. USDA, op. cit. note 6.