Don’t miss tomorrow’s media breakfast panel at the 2011 BIO International Convention. Former government leaders, scientists and a farmer will participate in a robust discussion on the political issues impacting agriculture production in the United States.

Speakers will address:

• Advancing America’s global competitiveness through science-based decision-making and investments in agricultural biotechnology innovations;
• Meeting farm productivity demands in the face of climate change and a rising global population;
• Encouraging next-generation products such as biotech wheat and examining the obstacles for future research and development.

For more information about the Convention program, visit the event webpage.

Scott Swenson, chairman of the National Association of Wheat Growers/U.S. Wheat Associates Joint Biotechnology Committee, writes a guest blog discussing the benefits of biotechnology for producers and consumers. He will participate in the media breakfast panel, “WINNING THE FUTURE:  Does U.S. Ag Policy Support or Discourage Innovation?” at the 2011 BIO International Convention.

By Scott Swenson

Did you know that biotechnology in plants saves fuel and machinery usage by eliminating passes in a field?  It also reduces the possibility of water and soil contamination by making environmentally safe chemicals more effective. Some of the biotech crops currently being developed will require less nitrogen fertilizer and less water, and will make plants resistant to cold and drought. This means less resources required for crops and far more environmental benefits.

I truly believe that if the general public understood these benefits and the scientifically-proven safety of biotechnology, producers and consumers of more crops would be able to reap these advantages.

I grow wheat, corn and soybeans in west-central Minnesota. Over the years, I’ve seen a tremendous shift from wheat to corn in my area because of the benefits biotech provides for farmers. As farmers, we are businesspeople who make decisions about what to grow based on short-term profitability and how the crop will affect the land for years to come.

Thirty years ago, I grew mostly wheat, but now it is only less than 1/6 of my acreage. I really want to keep wheat in my rotation and viable on my farm. Unfortunately, wheat has not yet had the opportunity to benefit from biotech traits that could make it more hardy and more productive.

I think it is important for everyone to understand the benefits provided by biotechnology in plants. It is easy to scare the public with words like “Frankenfood”, but the true scientific story seems to be left behind in favor of attention-grabbing media sound bites.

The process of changing plants to incorporate more favorable traits is centuries old, and one modern way of doing this, through biotechnology, is carefully scrutinized by the scientific community as well as government agencies whose jobs are to protect citizens and the environment. Once a biotech plant has been approved, it allows farmers to produce a safe and secure food supply while using far less chemicals, fuel and, someday soon, water.

President Obama recently called on the American citizens to “win the future” through science and technology. Biotech crops are obvious winners, reducing energy and water consumption, reducing environmental impacts and helping us farmers provide a safe and plentiful food supply.

So I’m excited about telling wheat’s story and in the process, introducing the public to “greenfood” - made possible through both science and technology!

Bolivian farmers welcome government decision to allow GM crops

According to Bloomberg Businessweek, Bolivian farmers suffering harsh weather conditions are calling on the government to remove export restrictions on corn, wheat, soybeans and other staple foods. The article points out that farmers welcomed President Evo Morales’s decision to sign a bill allowing the introduction of most genetically modified (GM) crops. Read more.

Forbes blog: Federal Government regulations are inhibiting technology innovations

A Forbes blog says the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should reduce burdensome regulations for ag biotech crops. Dr. Henry Miller, Robert Wesson Fellow in Scientific Philosophy and Public Policy at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution and former Founding Director of the Office of Biotechnology at the FDA, points out that bureaucratic hurdles have “inhibited research and development.”  Read more.

Today, the US House Subcommittee on Rural Development, Research and Biotechnology held a hearing to review the opportunities and benefits of agricultural biotechnology. During his testimony before the committee, Dr. Roger Beachy, president emeritus of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, said the regulatory process needs to be reformed if America is going to remain competitive.  

He pointed out, “there are a growing number of examples of new inventions developed through genetic engineering that have good likelihood of success and that continue to be delayed in reaching the marketplace because of regulatory processes that are ill-defined and/or unpredictable, sometimes irrational, and always costly. This is an area for significant concern to inventors and entrepreneurs, and is worthy of attention and reform.” Read Dr. Beachy’s full testimony.

Today, the World Food Prize Foundation announced that the 2011 World Food Prize will be awarded to former president of Ghana John Agyekum Kufuor and former president of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for their contributions to improving food production and alleviating hunger. The World Food Prize is the premier international award recognizing individuals who have increased the quality, quantity, or availability of food in the world. This is the first time in its 25 years that the World Food Prize has been awarded to heads of state.

The winners were announced at a ceremony at the U.S. Department of State that featured USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah and World Food Prize Foundation President, Ambassador Kenneth Quinn. The speakers used the opportunity to emphasize the importance of alleviating hunger worldwide, and the role of innovations to help us meet the challenge of food security.

Under Secretary Robert Hormats opened the ceremony by calling for policies and programs that support agricultural technologies such as “new innovative disease resistant crop varieties.” Echoing his sentiments, USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah described his vision of sharing ag technology worldwide to help prevent global hunger. Both Mr. Lula da Silva and Mr. Kufuor promoted technologies as tools to alleviate hunger and, as Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said, “made a fundamental difference in their countries.”

President Lula da Silva’s administration spearheaded efforts to make Brazil a world leader in the adoption of biotech crops. He supported a $23 billion investment in a four-year “Plan for Action for Science, Technology and Innovation,” which funded research and innovation in biotechnology, among other science initiatives. Brazil claims 17 percent of the world’s biotech crops—only second to the US in total cropland devoted to biotech crops. During his tenure, Ghana’s former president Kufuor urged West African leaders to embrace biotechnology to help fight hunger in Africa.

Visit here to learn more about the World Food Prize laureates.