Since GM crops were first introduced for commercial production in 1996, worldwide acreage has increased 40-fold, from about 4 million acres in six countries to 167 million in 18. The United States has consistently planted more acreage than any other country, accounting for nearly two-thirds of all GM crop acreage in 2003, with 106 million acres. To put this in perspective, Argentina was the next largest producer with 34 million acres, followed by Canada, Brazil, China and South Africa. Together, these six countries accounted for 99 percent of GM crops grown globally last year.

In addition to land used for GM commercial crops, an estimated half-million acres are being used for testing purposes of about 100 other GM species. Such experimental field trials have taken place since 1987 and consist of plants not approved for human consumption. Some worry that pollen drift from these crops could be even more detrimental to non-GM crops than from those that are approved.

The most prevalent GM crops grown in the U.S. today are corn, cotton and soybeans. For all but corn, the majority of each of these crops grown in 2004 in the U.S. was genetically modified: 37 percent of corn, 76 percent of cotton and 85 percent of soy. Other commercially approved varieties grown include canola, papaya, zucchini, tomatoes, radicchio/chicory, flax, sugar beets, squash, and zucchini, the majority of which are engineered to tolerate herbicides and/or resist pests. While about 54 percent of canola and more than 50 percent of papayas grown in the U.S. were genetically modified in 2001 and 2002, respectively, farmers have yet to widely adopt any of the other commercially available GM crops.

GM corn, canola and soy are the ingredients most commonly used in our food supply in the form of processed foods. But because labeling is not required for such ingredients in the U.S., this remains a little known fact. Indeed, more than 60 percent of processed foods on the average grocery store shelf now contain GM ingredients. With the exception of canola and papaya, other GM crops approved for commercial use do not appear to be available for purchase yet, though this could of course change at any time.

Currently, no form of GM meat has been approved for human consumption, but engineered fish are under active consideration in the U.S.

In spite of increasing opposition from the biotechnology industry, in the last year citizens in California, Vermont and Hawaii effectively joined together to address the issue of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in their communities.

As a result of their efforts, three California counties and one town successfully banned GM crops and animals: Mendocino, Trinity and Marin counties and the town of Arcata. Be on the lookout for several more bans here in the year ahead.

In Vermont, 79 towns passed resolutions against GMOs, which laid the groundwork for the state to pass a seed labeling bill. Additionally, progress has also been made on a state bill that would hold biotech corporations liable for unintended contamination of conventional or organic crops by GM plant materials.

One option we have to is to look to the model used in California to ban GMOs:

1. People write a proposed law (e.g., saying that it will be illegal to grow or plant GMOs).

2. Thousands of signatures then need to be gathered (about 10% of the number of voters in the county) to show that there is enough support to put this initiative to the vote.

3. Residents of the county then have the opportunity to vote on whether or not to support this initiative and enact it as a county law. (The vote usually happens the next time voters in the county go to the polls for a local, state or national election.)