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.
The Economist Magazine is hosting an online debate discussing whether biotechnology can be used to advance sustainable agriculture. CBI Expert and author of Tomorrow’s Table Dr. Pamela Ronald of University of California - Davis has provided the opening statement on behalf of the motion that biotechnology can contribute to sustainable agriculture. Dr. Ronald writes, “Well-documented benefits of GE crops include massive reductions of insecticides in the environment, improved soil quality and reduced erosion, prevention of destruction of the Hawaiian papaya industry, proven health benefits to farmers and families growing GE crops as a result of reduced exposure to harsh chemicals…”
Vote in the Economist Magazine’s debate: are biotechnology and sustainable agriculture complementary?
You can weigh in with your view and vote in the debate. Voting ends November 10. Vote and read more here.
Stewart Brand
Several Leading Environmentalists voice support for agricultural biotechnology
In recent years well-known environmentalists such as Mark Lynas, Stewart Brand and Patrick Moore, one of the founding members of Greenpeace, have reversed their unfavorable positions towards genetically modified (GM) crops and have voiced support for GM Crops as a result of data that demonstrates the environmental benefits of agricultural biotechnology. According to a piece in the UK Telegraph, “Mr. Lynas, who along with other activists ripped up trial GM crops in the 1990s, said that GM food had now been consumed by millions of people in the US for more than 10 years without harm, and this had convinced him to change his views.” Read more.
USDA announces plans to re-approve genetically modified sugar beets
The USDA announced plans to move forward with approving genetically modified (GM) sugar beets for a second time this week. A recent federal court ruling has called for an additional environmental assessment of the crop before it can be planted again, despite it having been approved by the USDA five years ago. Genetically modified sugar beets currently account for 95 percent of the U.S. crop and according to an estimate by the USDA, if farmers cannot plant it next spring, U.S. sugar production will be cut by about 20 percent. Read more.
Stewart Brand, the environmentalist most famous for editing the Whole Earth Catalog in the 1970s, will be speaking at next week’s Fortune Brainstorm: Green about why biotech crops are green and sustainable. Mr. Brand is currently co-chairman of The Long Now Foundation and recently wrote the book Whole Earth Discipline, where he argues that the green movement’s rejection of agricultural biotechnology is antithetical to its goal of preserving the environment.
Stewart Brand will be speaking on Monday, April 12 from 7:15-9:15 PM PST. You can view his speech via a live webcast by registering online at: http://www.fortuneconferences.com/brainstormgreen/.
Dr. Pamela Ronald, Professor of Plant Pathology at the University of California – Davis, CBI Expert, and Blogger, recently reviewed Stewart Brand’s new book Whole Earth Discipline on her blog “Tomorrow’s Table.” In this book Mr. Brand breaks with old-school environmentalists and argues that the green movement’s rejection of modern technologies, including agricultural biotechnology, is antithetical to its goal of preserving the environment.
Dr. Ronald is impressed with this book that is part memoir and part manifesto for a more progressive green movement. She writes that it will “delight the reader with its stories and characters” while also reminding the reader of the “seriousness of our situation and the need for science-based dialogue and action to sustain Earth for generations to come.”
You can read Dr. Ronald’s entire book review here. You can view a talk with Stewart Brand at the US State Department here.
Have you read the Whole Earth Discipline? Please comment below with your thoughts on the book.
