This week we were pleased to see that researchers at Stanford University were finally able to put to rest the argument that conventional farming is bad for the planet. In fact, they found that modern farming REDUCED the amount of greenhouse gases entering the earth’s atmosphere by the end of the 20^th century. Other ag biotech news we liked this week:

Study finds that modern farming helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions

According to researchers at Stanford University, modern high-yield farming significantly reduced the amount of greenhouse gas emissions entering the Earth’s atmosphere by the end of the 20^th century. The study found that novel farming techniques prevented as much as the equivalent of 590 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide. Any policy intended to lower the amount of greenhouse gas emissions into the Earth’s atmosphere, the researchers concluded, should entail the improvement of crop yields. READ MORE »

This week, we found more ag biotech stories to share, including some great news out of the EU that could lead to the approval of more biotech crops in Europe.

CTIC releases latest Sustainability & Biotechnology Report

The Conservation Technology Information Center just released its latest report on improving sustainability efforts with agricultural biotechnology, according to AgWired. The report, released at the end of May, stresses the importance of environmental and economic sustainability to farming. “Biotechnology-derived crops and the sustainable farming systems they facilitate are key tools in the race to grow more food, feed, fiber and fuel while protecting the environment,” according to a statement made in the executive summary for the report. READ MORE »