For the first time since genetically modified crops hit the market in the mid-90s, farmers in the U.S. planted fewer GMO crops than the year before.
An organization that tracks biotech crops reports that the amount of acreage used for growing GMOs worldwide shrank by about 1 percent between 2014 and 2015.
The nonprofit group, called the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications, said land for GMOs declined in the U.S. by about 5 million acres over that period.
The U.S., Brazil and Argentina account for 90 percent of GMO acreage used worldwide. The report said acreage used in Brazil and Argentina continued to grow, but not enough to offset the decline in the U.S.
GM crops have grown by double digits since widespread use began in 1996, but those numbers have tapered off in recent years.
Analysis say falling commodity prices for corn, soybeans and canola likely caused farmers to plant alternatives.