The United States and Canada rank first and third, respectively, in land area planted to GM crops. Of the four countries that together plant 99 percent of the global land area planted to GM crops, US farmers plant 30 million hectares or 70 percent, while Canadian farmers plant 3 million hectares or 7 percent.

The United States is at the forefront of bioengineering research and the development and release of GM crops. After two decades of research, commercial cultivation of GM crops began in 1995. To date, the government has approved varieties of more than 20 plant species, including corn, soybean, cotton, squash, potato, rapeseed, tomato, and papaya.

Public protest over GM crops and foods has been mild compared to that in Europe, but Americans are displaying signs of concern. In surveys conducted over each of the past four years by the International Food Information Council, the number of people saying biotechnology would produce personal benefits has dropped. The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have moved to tighten monitoring of GM crops and foods. For example, the EPA is considering requiring companies producing GM crops to test for harmful effects on wildlife. FDA policy requires labeling of foods produced from GM crops only if "tangible" characteristics such as nutritional content or allergenic potential are affected, but the agency has implemented a new policy requiring companies planning to release a new GM food product to meet with regulators to discuss the product's safety.

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