At yesterday’s Agricultural Outlook Forum, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said that the record high export numbers predicted for this year demonstrate the success of science in improving agricultural productivity globally. Affirming his commitment to promote science-based farming methods and reduced trade barriers, he said,

“We need to do a better job of working with scientists and farmers and political leaders to make sure there is a consistent message that comes from this country about the importance of biotechnology as a strategy for meeting world demand.“

He further explained, “It’s one of the reasons why we put together a specific effort to do a better job of educating folks about the benefits about technology, the capacity of that science to be able to reduce the reliance on chemicals in fertilizer, the ability to produce food in areas that today may not be as productive, the opportunity to use less water, and potentially conserve our natural resources as a result of the science.” Read more.

At today’s Agricultural Outlook Conference, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said that U.S. agricultural exports are expected to reach a record of $135.5 billion in fiscal year 2011 thanks to the high productivity of American farmers.

“Our export success is a testament to the productivity of our farmers and ranchers and underscores the quality and value of U.S. farm and food products. Agriculture also continues to play an important role in support of President Obama’s National Export Initiative goal of doubling all U.S. exports by the end of 2014.” He has previously stated that biotechnology plays an important role in increasing productivity. Read more.

2010 ISAAA report shows benefits of GE crops for farmers worldwide

A USA Today article citing the 2010 ISAAA report on the global status of biotech crops points out that biotech crops “have been enthusiastically embraced by farmers in the United States, Canada, Brazil, Argentina and China.” Higher yields from biotech varieties will help to feed a growing world population faced with the shrinking availability of land.  Dr. Peggy Lemaux, at the University of California, Berkeley’s Department of Plant and Microbial Biology (and a CBI expert!), discusses the need for humanitarian assistance in order to ensure that the benefits of genetic engineering reach the world’s poorest farmers.

Dr. Lemaux says, “because of the expenses involved, creating engineered crops for developing countries requires humanitarian contributions by philanthropists like (Bill) Gates and the Rockefeller Foundation or perhaps by companies who see value in such endeavors.” Read more.

Forbes blog: Dr. Henry Miller responds to myths about GE crops

In a Forbes article, Dr. Henry Miller, author of The Frankenfood Myth and former founding director of the Office of Biotechnology at the FDA, criticizes the New York Times for propagating myths about genetically engineered crops instead of recognizing the worldwide success of the technology. Dr. Miller points out that arguments against the safety and benefits of GE crops fail to explain their widespread adoption. “Higher productivity, lower costs for inputs (including chemical pesticides), economic gains to farmers and environment-friendly agronomic practices have made it the most rapidly adopted agricultural technology in history.”

As was discussed at a recent AAAS panel on GMO crop regulations, Dr. Miller also questions the logic of regulations on genetically engineered crops, “Although they boast significant benefits and an unblemished record of safety, genetically engineered crops are subject to excessive, hugely expensive regulation in every country of the world that grows them.” Read more.

The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA) released its annual report on the global status of commercialized biotech crops in 2010. The ISAAA report discusses major developments impacting biotech crop adoption, including this year’s record amount of hectarage dedicated to biotech crops and landmark decisions by Pakistan, Myanmar and Sweden to approve the planting of the crops.

Take a look at the full ISAAA report and charts to learn about the 29 countries that have adopted biotech crops since they were first planted 15 years ago and the growth of agricultural biotechnology in the United States and worldwide.

Some highlights from the 2010 ISAAA report include:

• Biotech crops occupy about 10% or 1.5 billion hectares (3.7 billion acres) of total global cropland- up significantly from 7% or 134 million hectares (331 million acres) in 2009.
• The number of countries planting biotech crops increased to 29, up from 25 in 2009, with for the first time two struggling economies Pakistan and Myanmar planting biotech cotton to improve food security, and the first Scandinavian adopter Sweden planting a high-quality biotech starch potato.
• The United States remained by far the largest grower of biotech crops, with 66.8 million hectares (165 million acres) planted in 2010, up 4 percent from 2009.
• Developing countries increased their share of global biotech crops to almost 48% in 2010, and are expected to exceed developed countries in the future.
• The use of genetically modified seeds grew the fastest in Brazil, with a 4 million hectare increase from 2009.
• Biotech soybean continued to be the dominant crop in 2010, occupying 73.3 million hectares or 50% of global biotech area, followed by biotech maize at 31%, biotech cotton at 14%, and biotech canola with 5% of the global biotech crop area.
• Since 1996, a total of 59 countries have granted regulatory approvals for biotech crops for import for food and feed use and for release into the environment.
• About 12 countries are expected to adopt biotech crops for the first time between 2011 and 2015, bringing the total number of countries adopting biotech crops to approximately 40 in 2015.

The Atlantic: Concerns about GM alfalfa contamination not backed by data

According to an article in The Atlantic, media reports that are critical of the USDA’s recent decision to deregulate genetically modified alfalfa neglect to provide supporting data.  Author and food columnist James McWilliams says, “As I encountered one condemnatory article after another regarding Tom Vilsack’s choice to deregulate GM alfalfa, I kept wondering what I often wonder when grappling with an agricultural controversy: where’s the data?”

 Dr. Dan Putnam, a forage expert at UC-Davis, conducted extensive research finding that the chances of cross-contamination from Roundup Ready alfalfa seed are nominal. “With a contamination possibility that’s less than 1 percent, we are not looking at a scenario in which GM alfalfa is going to overtake its organic counterpart,” Mr. McWilliams says citing Putnam’s study.  Read more.

Sugar growers and sweetener users support biotech sugar beet seed

A National Journal article by prize-winning agricultural journalist Jerry Hagstrom points out that support for genetically modified seeds has created a rare source of agreement for sugar growers and sweetener users. When the two interest groups gathered this week for their annual International Sweetener Colloquium in San Diego, rather than clash on the usual hot topic of sugar prices, they found common ground over concerns that federal district court rulings on genetically engineered sugar beet seed have caused uncertainty about the American sugar supply.

In a recent letter to the USDA, the Federal Sweetener Association said the U.S. economy would be negatively impacted if growers could not plant genetically engineered beets. “The lack of alternative strategies for securing adequate supplies would create shortages, place large numbers of manufacturing jobs at risk, drive some already-struggling small businesses into bankruptcy, and raise consumer prices,” the association of candy companies and other industrial consumers of sweeteners said. Read more.

GM Prairie Grass produces cheaper, more abundant ethanol, Bloomberg reports

According to Bloomberg, research shows that genetically modified prairie grass, called switchgrass, could one day provide a cheaper biofuel, and the Department of Energy says it has the potential to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil. The authors of a research report from the National Academy of Sciences indicate that bioengineered switchgrass can produce ethanol more efficiently and may also help with the production of other newly emerging fuels made from the cellulose in plants. Read more.

GM crops necessary to improve ag productivity

As part of the New York Times online series “Is the World Producing Enough Food?”, Michael J. Roberts, assistant professor of agricultural and resource economics at North Carolina State University, says that genetically modified crops are important for agricultural productivity.

 “The greatest hopes against truly catastrophic declines in crop production are a possible boost from CO2 fertilization and improved productivity through breeding or genetically modified crops.” Dr. Roberts discusses the need for improved productivity to meet the demands of a growing world population and increasingly high food community prices. Read more.