GMOs in the World

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The first food products of biotechnology appeared on the American market in 1990. At present, the socalled Big Four among GM crops are soybean, maize, rapeseed and cotton. More than half of the world’s soybean crop is genetically modified. In the EU, GM soybeans are primarily used for feeding cattle, swine and chickens, besides being used to produce many food
Maize is the only GM crop that is currently grown in Europe.
In Canada, GM rapeseed has become widespread, and it is used as raw material for
resources and as an ingredient to produce margarine. GM cotton is primarily grown in India, China and the USA. It is a well-known source for textiles and the seeds make up an important part of animal feed.
Governments around the world are at work to monitor the of and to approve new varieties of GM plants, but different governments are responding in different ways. At present a dispute over the advantages and the disadvantages of GM crops is in progress. The dispute is particularly in Europe and in Japan, while in the United States the introduction of GM products has been less
In Europe at the moment neither genetically modified fruit or vegetables nor transgenic organisms are on the market, and authorised GM plants are not intended for direct
However, livestock can eat GM feed, and milk can be obtained from cows treated with a biotechnology used to increase milk production. Another controversy is about labels: although labeling requirements have been in effect since April 2004 in the EU, consumers rarely find labels indicating the use of genetic biotechnology. In the USA, GM food does not officially require specific labelling. The only for a consumer who does not want to eat foods made with biotechnology ingredients is to purchase products with certified organic standards. These products do not allow the use of genetically modified ingredients or processing