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.

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Today’s biotechnology is simply a better and more efficient version of the plant breeding that humans have conducted for centuries, according to agricultural expert Dr. Robert Thompson of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

“During the twentieth century, we made huge genetic progress increasing productivity of plants in increasing their tolerance to adverse conditions,” Thompson said in an interview with Green State TV.  But we’ve gone about as far as we can go with classical plant breeding,” which he said is simply “crossing two species to bring a trait from one species to another.”

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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 »