Pharma Crop Approvals in the United States Map

This map shows the number of plantings of genetically engineered pharmaceutical and industrial (pharma) crops approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in individual states.

Since 1991, USDA has approved more than 100 and perhaps as many as 200 or more applications to grow pharma crops in the United States. The numbers on the map add up (395) to more than the number of applications (100-200) because an application may include plantings of pharma crops in more than one state.

The number on the map for each state may not reflect the actual number of pharma crop plantings in that state for several reasons:

• The number would be increased if information on the number of planting sites per state were available. Some applications include more than one planting site per state. That information is withheld from the public. (The locations within a state where pharma crops are planted are also withheld from the public as confidential business information.)
• The number would be increased if information were available on the number of years applicants are allowed to plant pharma crops under one application. Some applications include two or more years of planting the same pharma crop. That information is withheld from the public.
• The number of plantings would be decreased if information were available on the number of applicants choosing not to plant in a state even though they had permission to do so. That information is withheld from the public.
• The number of plantings might be decreased if sufficient information were available to determine with certainty which of the 200 applications mentioned above, if any, concern non-pharma crops. That information is withheld from the public as confidential business information.

If you want more detail on pharma crop production in individual states, go to the pharma crop database.