Sebelas Tahun Perkembangan Jagung Bt dan Statusnya secara Global

Major insect pests of corn are the Asian corn borer, the European corn borer, and the corn root worm. The value of crop losses due to the insect pests in America is $2.6 billion, Asia $1.6 billion, Africa $0.8 billion, and Europe $0.6 billion. Prior to the use of Bt corn, farmers used a lot of insecticides to control the insect pests. Following introduction of the Bt corn in 1996, this crop has been grown over 21 million hectares by millions of farmers from 13 countries in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe. Globally, the farmers had been benefited by grownt the Bt corn. The benefits varies, dependent on countries and level of the corn borer infestations. In 2001, the US farmers gained $125 million benefit from growing the crop. In 2002, farmers in Spain gained 11-15 million benefit from the Bt corn alone. During the period of 2003-2005, corn farmers in the Philippines gained $8 million from the Bt corn. Bt corn has not been grown commercially in Indonesia, although Bt corn MON810 has been declared as save to release in the environment by the Indonesian Biosafety Committee. In 2001-2002, farmers in South Sulawesi with had grown Bt cotton, this was the first time Bt crop in the country since the placement and implementation of the biosafety regulation by the Indonesian Government in 1998.