Facts & Figures
A growing body of evidence suggests that biotechnology is helping agriculture enter a new era of efficiency and sustainability. In the hands of farmers, better seeds are helping the world grow more, while using less. Researchers around the world, in both the public and private sectors, are working to improve seeds through the use of advanced breeding and biotechnology. Together with better farming techniques, these advanced seeds can help farmers meet the world's demand for food, clothing and fuel while also helping to reducing the need for water, land, pesticides and fossil fuels. In this month's Spotlight, we'll highlight the findings of a new report on the status of biotech crops, and discuss their role in meeting our growing global challenges.
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China
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| Population in thousands (2010) | 1,354,146 |
| Average life expectancy (2008) | 73 |
| GDP per capita (2008) | $6,069.98 |
| Gross GPD in billions (2008) | $8,061.05 |
| Agriculture's share of GDP (2006) | 11.7% |
| Population below poverty line (2005) | rural: 26.11%; urban: 1.71% |
China
China is located in East Asia and has a population of over 1.3 billion (2010), making it the most populous country in the world. Agriculture employs 40 percent of the country’s population (2006) and accounts for 11.7 percent of the country’s GDP (2006). China is one of the world’s largest producers of agricultural commodities such as rice, corn, wheat and cotton. China is also one of the six founder biotech crop countries, having adopted biotech crops in 1996, the first year of commercialization. Today, Chinese farmers grow biotech cotton, tomato, poplar, petunia, papaya and sweet pepper. Since adoption, farm income gains from biotech crops have been $6.7 billion. To learn more about China’s agriculture production and the role it plays in feeding, clothing and fueling the world, see the charts below.
