Beyond hitting nearly three-quarters of U.S. corn and soybean crops, drought has had a global impact on food price volatility and agricultural productivity. To help address these challenges, World Food Prize Laureate Catherine Bertini and former US Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman call for supporting agricultural research and technologies that will help equip farmers with the tools they need to manage severe drought conditions. 

They state in a Politico opinion piece, “We should increase support for the agricultural researchers, in the U.S. and around the world, who are developing remarkable new drought and flood tolerant crop varieties. The results of this research will be essential if the agricultural sector is to continue to meet food demand in the face of weather variability.” READ MORE »

According to the USDA’s annual report on the adoption of genetically modified (GM) crops in the U.S., there has been a substantial increase in the amount of biotech corn, soybeans and cotton grown in the U.S. since 2000.

Dr. Cathleen Enright, Executive Vice President for Food and Agriculture for the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), said in a statement, “The need for advanced seed technology is more important than ever as we look to provide the food, feed, fuel and fiber for nine billion people by 2050.  Farmers in the United States and around the world need the best tools available to achieve this goal amid the challenges of drought and climate change.”

The following are some of the key findings of the USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS), which conducted the study:

• Genetically engineered cotton is 94 percent of all cotton grown in the United States in 2012 (up from 90 percent in 2011).
• Genetically engineered soybeans are 93 percent of all soybeans grown in the United States in 2012 (down slightly from 94 percent in 2011; was at 93 percent in 2010).
• Genetically engineered corn is 88 percent of all corn grown in the United States in 2012 (was 88 percent in 2011, and 86 percent in 2010).

To view the USDA’s data on corn, cotton and soybeans, refer to the Economic Research Service’s website here.

Reports released this month by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) confirm the safety of biotech corn and soybean varieties. The reports add to a long line of scientific findings that affirm the safety of food and feed made from biotech crops.

The EFSA, which provides independent scientific advice to the European Union, determined the biotech crops are as healthy and environmentally friendly as the conventional varieties of corn and soybeans.

READ MORE »

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!

In a speech to the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Private Sector Day, Senator Mike Johanns of Nebraska emphasized the importance of agricultural biotechnology for world food security and the need for minimizing regulatory delays to the approval of biotech products.

He explained his support for adopting biotechnology worldwide to meet global demand for food. “It is vital for the United States and other countries to support science-based standards and systems that will bring agricultural biotechnology products to the market to meet this demand.”

Senator Johanns pointed out the contributions of biotechnology to soybean and corn production. “Technological advances have not only increased yields, they have also increased the efficiency with which the crop is produced.”

When noting that the length of time for USDA deregulation has increased on average by more than 700 percent, he said, “We risk jeopardizing the tremendous progress we have made in food production.”