Dr. Nina Federoff, attorney William McConagha, and Dr. James Murray at RFF panel.

When it comes to agricultural biotechnology, “most of what people believe is the exact opposite of the truth,” according to Dr. Nina Federoff, board chair of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Thirty years of research and the planting of biotech crops around the world show that there is “no evidence that modifying plants by molecular technology has any dangerous effects associated with it.”

Dr. Federoff spoke Tuesday at a panel discussion at Resources for the Future in Washington, D.C. She decried the ongoing campaign against genetically modified crops by various activists and said the major traits, such as herbicide tolerance and insect resistance, are “pretty innocuous” and have no effect on humans.

Rather than harming the environment, biotech can be beneficial, she said, noting that no-till farming preserves soil quality and that the reduction in insecticide spraying means there are more insects and great biodiversity in the fields.

Dr. James Murray, professor of animal science at the University of California at Davis, said genetic modification in food animals has been “overregulated to death.”

“GE livestock, poultry and fish will be necessary to feed the world in the future,” he said. “The greatest risk is that they will not be used. What benefits will we forgo for the hypothetical risks?”

Scientist calls for global collaboration in using biotech to feed the world

In an interview with Earthsky, Nina Fedoroff, president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest scientific society, discussed the important role of biotechnology in helping to feed the world and called for global collaboration in determining science-based regulations.

Dr. Fedoroff said, “there’s virtually no food that isn’t genetically modified. Let’s look at it carefully. Let’s put experts together to help regulate it, and go forward.” Read more

Drought-resistant crops help farmers withstand environmental challenges

According to Triple Pundit, an Israeli agro-biotechnology company is developing plant varieties genetically modified to withstand prolonged periods of severe drought, while also maintaining increased crop yields.

The company’s CEO, Amir Anviel said, “This experiment is another step in the company’s progress towards production of improved plants that will provide farmers with excellent yield even in drought conditions, and allow the growth of crops in wide areas that are currently unsuitable due to soil salinity and weather conditions.” Read more

Farmers say relocation of innovative German biotech company will hurt EU ag industry

Reuters reports a German company known for innovative biotech research decided to transfer its headquarters to the United States due to bans on cultivating GM crops, despite EU safety approval and protests from farming cooperatives.

Germany’s largest association of farming cooperatives said the announcement was “disastrous for Europe as a location for agricultural industries.” Read more

The Atlantic Food Summit, sponsored in part by the Council for Biotechnology Information, brought together experts on Tuesday, April 26^th, for a panel discussion on the meaning of sustainable agriculture and ways to reconcile different perspectives on agricultural production to feed the world sustainably. Watch the video of the sustainable agriculture panel here (54:00 minute mark).  

Nina Fedoroff, President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest scientific society, pointed out the importance of using all agricultural methods available to feed the world sustainably - including organic, conventional and biotech. She explained that genetically modified crops allow farmers to decrease pesticide applications, soil tilling, water run-off and waste. 

Dr. Fedoroff said two policy reforms that would promote sustainable agriculture include: 1) putting agency authority for biotech product deregulations in a central location, rather than requiring interaction with three separate agencies, to help streamline the biotech product approval process, and 2) reducing costly regulatory barriers. She emphasized that technology is essential for providing enough food to feed the world. “My view is: let’s use the most modern day methods and modern science to increase productivity.”

Molly Jahn, Professor at the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, also supported an inclusive agricultural policy. “Every technology that maximizes input and minimizes the environmental burden is critical.” Dr. Jahn and Sarah Alexander from the Keystone Center explained some of the efforts they are spearheading to bring diverse stakeholders to the same table to tackle these challenges, such as the Keystone Center’s Field to Market initiative.

The full panel included:

• Sarah Alexander, Director of the Environment Practice, The Keystone Center
• Nina Fedoroff, President, American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Gary Hirshberg, Chief Executive Officer, Stonyfield Farm
• Molly Jahn, Professor at the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison 
• Corby Kummer, Senior Editor at The Atlantic (moderator)

Click here to watch the sustainable agriculture panel discussion and the rest of the food summit.

Leading scientists, researchers and policymakers will gather for an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) panel discussion on the safety of genetically engineered crops and obstacles to their commercialization. The panel will take place on Friday, February 18th from 1:30-4:30 p.m. EST at the AAAS meeting in Washington DC. 

Panelists include Dr. Nina Fedoroff, a leading geneticist and former Science and Technology Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of State (and former guest blogger!). Dr. Fedoroff is currently a professor at Penn State and the new president of AAAS. The panel will also feature Dr. Roger Beachy, a world-renowned plant scientist and Director of the National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) at the USDA.

CBI Expert Dr. Wayne Parrott of the University of Georgia and co-organizer of the panel, wrote this blog to discuss his views on a science-based regulatory system.

Follow CBI on Twitter as we will be live-tweeting the panel @agbiotech. For more information and a full panel description, visit the AAAS website.

Special CBI guest blogger, Dr. Wayne Parrott
Professor of Crop Science, University of Georgia

As a scientist I am pleased to hear President Obama stress the importance of innovation and science as drivers of the 21st century economy.  However, the agencies his administration oversees are not singing the same tune.  Excessive, outdated, unscientific, and prohibitively expensive regulatory policies at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) impede the development and commercialization of technologically advanced genetically modified (GM) foods that could provide benefits ranging from longer shelf life and improved nutrition to using fewer pesticides.

Although 14 years of data supports the health and environmental safety of these crops, overly complex and costly regulatory hurdles are restricting consumer access. The full deregulation of biotech alfalfa was a positive first step, but there needs to be more action to ensure a regulatory system that is efficient and science-based.  Such a system could give the same safety level as the current system but at a fraction of the cost. 

Therefore, I am pleased to be co-organizing a panel of scientists and policymakers at the 2011 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting. The panel, titled “GM Crop Regulations: Safety Net or Insurmountable Obstacle?” will discuss this important issue and ways to streamline the current regulatory system so that it is guided by scientific principles.

For more information, please click here or email Ariel Gruswitz at agruswitz@bio.org

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