While sitting around the table with your family this Thanksgiving, remember to give special thanks to our nation’s farmers who work hard to produce a plentiful and safe food supply.
America’s farmers are so productive in part because they have access to biotech seed varieties which increase the yields of staple crops such as corn and soybeans, while helping the environment through minimizing the use of pesticides. Scientific research could lead to breakthrough solutions for environmental challenges, such as the introduction of drought-tolerant and flood-tolerant seeds, helping our nation’s farmers grow more crops even in times of droughts or floods.
Join the AgChat Foundation in expressing gratitude for those who bring food to your table every day by using social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook to spread #FoodThanks. Learn how to get involved.
Jessica Adelman, a biotechnology expert, spoke at John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) about the importance of policies that support agriculture.
She noted that world leaders who are committed to finding solutions to mitigate the global food crisis need to work together to streamline the regulatory process. Listen to her lecture here.
Study shows consumers will pay a premium for biotech foods with enhanced nutrition
Research conducted by Wallace Huffman, professor of agricultural economics at Iowa State University, shows consumers are willing to pay more for biotech foods with enhanced nutritional benefits, according to the Philippines publication Manila Bulletin.
Professor Huffman, whose study was published by the Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics (JARE), said, “What we found was when genes for enhancing the amount of antioxidants and vitamin C in fresh produce were transferred by intragenic methods, consumers are willing to pay 25 percent more than for the plain product (with no enhancements).That is a sizable increase.” Read more.
Korean government considering approval of GM crop cultivation
Korea’s government is considering approval of GM crop cultivation to help improve the country’s food security, Korea Times reports. “We are getting ready because we don’t want to be left behind in 20 or 30 years when everybody does GM,” a government official said. Read more.
In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, a Kenyan farmer calls on European leaders to embrace biotechnology to help Africa and the rest of the world boost food production.
Gilbert Arap Bor, who grows maize and vegetables and raises cows in Kenya, says Africa’s challenges with producing enough food could be addressed by giving farmers access “to one of the world’s most important hunger-fighting tools.” Read more.
The Phillips McDougall study, just released by CropLife International, highlights the extensive cost and time involved in getting new biotech crop innovations to market.
The study draws further attention to the need for a streamlined GMO approval/regulatory process so we can continue to introduce new innovative crop technologies to the market and remain competitive globally as a nation. According to the study, the cost of discovery, development and authorization of a new plant biotechnology trait introduced between 2008 and 2012 costs an estimated $136 million! Read the study here.
