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.
Use the controls to rotate the globe and select a country to view the statistics.
Alternatively, you can use the dropdown list to select a country.
United States
Learn more
| Population in thousands (2010) | 317,641 |
| Average life expectancy (2008) | 79 |
| GDP per capita (2008) | $47,369.08 |
| Gross GPD in billions (2008) | $14,441.43 |
| Agriculture's share of GDP (2005) | 1.2% |
United States
The United States is located in North America and has a population of nearly 318 million (2010). Agriculture employs less than 1 percent of the country’s population (2007) and accounts for 1.2 percent of the country’s GDP (2005). U.S. agricultural productivity is one of the highest in the world partly because American farmers have access to some of the most advanced technology in agriculture. Major agricultural products in the U.S. include corn, soybean, cotton, wheat, fruits, vegetables, beef, pork, poultry, dairy products, fish and forest products. The U.S. is one of the six founder biotech crop countries, having planted biotech crops in 1996, the first year of commercialization. American farmers grow biotech corn, cotton, canola, soy, squash, papaya, alfalfa and sugar beets. Since adoption, farm income gains from biotech crops have been $20 billion. To learn more about agriculture production in the United States and the role it plays in feeding, clothing and fueling the world, see the charts below.
