Coexistence among farmers with different types of crops -biotech, non-biotech conventional and organic - is an issue in the United States and other countries today. Farmers can work together to manage the spread of pollen and prevent problems with unintended presence of genetic material in neighboring crops, experts said during a recent panel discussion at the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) International Convention in Boston.

“Biotech crops can peacefully coexist alongside conventional agriculture and organic farming,” said Gregory Conko, a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute in Washington. “As long as farmers are responsible, cooperate with each other and work together, they can make sure that there’s place for organic agriculture and biotechnology, and everyone can have the food products that they particularly want,” he added. READ MORE »

Research is underway to develop biotech versions of traditional African crops even as major crops such as corn are being adopted on the continent, according to the executive director of AfricaBio, a stakeholders association.

Nutrient enhancement and desirable traits such as drought resistance are being developed, along with resistance to insect pests and weed killers, Dr. Nompumelelo Obokoh told a session at the BIO International Convention here Monday.

“Improvement projects are underway in at least seven countries,” Dr. Obokoh said.  Crops under development include cassava, sweet potato, bananas, cowpeas, rice and sorghum, she said.

READ MORE »

BIO Convention panel says biotech regulations harm American competitiveness

Regulatory hurdles for biotech crop approval could harm America’s competitiveness in the global market, BNA reports from a CBI-sponsored panel at the BIO International Convention.  “Requiring genetically modified crops to be approved by both the Environmental Protection Agency and the Agriculture Department drives up the cost of production,” said Dr. Roger Beachy, president of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and former Chief Scientist at the USDA.  Read more.

Author Stewart Brand: Environmentalists should support biotech

In Dr. Pamela Ronald’s science blog Tomorrow’s Table, eminent author and well-known environmental leader Stewart Brand discusses why environmentalists should consider biotech to help feed the world. Mr. Brand reviews a seminar given by Peter Kareiva, the chief scientist of the Nature Conservancy. Read more. 

Kenya plans to approve GM maize to mitigate food shortages

According to Reuters, Kenya plans to approve genetically modified (GM) maize to alleviate food shortages. “The maize shortage threatens to cripple the supply of flour in the country after six major millers closed their main plants, and millers said GM would curb future shortfalls,” the article points out. Read more.

Scientists and policymakers participating in a panel at the BIO International Convention titled “Winning the Future: Does U.S. Ag Policy Support or Discourage Innovation?” called on policymakers to support a science-based regulatory review system and recognize the many benefits of ag biotech innovations. The panelists said the current regulatory environment discourages investments in new biotech crops because of complexity and costs.

The panel was moderated by former U.S. Representative Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD). Panelists included Dr. Roger Beachy, former Director of the National Institute for Food and Agriculture at the USDA, Jack Bobo, Senior Advisor for Biotechnology at the State Department and Scott Swenson, Wheat Grower (Elbow Lake, Minnesota), Chairman of the Joint Biotechnology Committee of the National Association of Wheat Growers and US Wheat Associates.

Biotech crops can address issues of food security and sustainability, and are important economically to the U.S in terms of farm income, job creation and exports. Jack Bobo noted that more than half of the U.S.’s $120 billion in food exports contain biotech ingredients.

The panelists shared that the United States risks losing its competitive advantage worldwide if we do not have public investment in agriculture R&D, especially when countries like China and Brazil are investing heavily in biotech research. Dr. Beachy noted that by 2015 half of the new biotech traits will be developed outside of the United States, and American farmers will have to import seeds from other countries. The investment pays off: for every $1 invested in agriculture, we get $1.43 in return.

During the discussion the panelists looked at the example of wheat, the only major crop that does not have a biotech variety. Despite 20 years of data demonstrating the safety and efficacy of biotech crops, biotech wheat will face the most difficult regulatory hurdles to commercialization to date. Scott Swenson shared that like many farmers, he found crops with biotech traits are more productive and switched much of his acreage from wheat to biotech corn and soybeans.

The panelists agreed that biotech crops can help address many of our future challenges, by helping farmers grow more food, sustainably. But, as Dr. Beachy said, “without a sound science-based regulatory system, we bottle up innovation and future success.”

If you’re interested in talking to ag biotech experts, please contact Ariel Gruswitz at 202-962-6672 or agruswitz@bio.org.

The Council for Biotechnology Information communicates science-based information about the benefits and safety of agricultural biotechnology and its contributions to sustainable development. For more information, visit www.whybiotech.com. You can also find us on Twitter (@agbiotech) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/agbiotech).

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.