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).

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…”

 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.

We’re here in Iowa where Sec. Tom Vilsack, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, just gave the welcoming address this morning at the “Global Virtual Town Hall: A Global Story of Crop Biodiversity Success” at Iowa State University.

He emphasized the need to utilize all tools for helping to meet the world’s demand to feed a growing population. However, these technologies must be developed and customized to meet the needs of the local community.

We must use all systems of food production to meet the need to grow more food. Science is essential in this process. Farmers around the world are also critical contributors to the global food system. We need sustainable land management practices and science-based systems that support not only feeding the world but also protecting the environment and maximizing opportunities for supporting biodiversity.

Divide and conquer approach won’t help feed the world. Agricultural biotechnology vs. local, organic will only result in losses on both sides; we need to bring the two together.

Global food production on agenda at global conference

The Agricultural Biotechnology International Conference (ABIC) begins this Sunday in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, and will focus on the challenges facing global food production. Five keynote and 66 expert speakers in three areas — energy, health and sustainability — will present during the four-day conference, which will have about 1,000 international delegates.

Keynote speakers include Julian Cribb, who authored the recently released “The Coming Famine: Risks and Solutions for Global Food Security,” and Prem Warrior, senior project manager with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Global Development Program.

Biofortification of staple foods still necessary

According to a report by the International Food Policy Research Institute, the biofortification of staple foods is still relevant in poor countries, despite gains in income and urbanization. The authors of the study, titled Integrated Economic Modeling of Global and Regional Micronutrient Security, suggest that low-income rural populations will continue to derive much of their diets from staple foods, such as cereal grains in South Asia, and roots and tubers in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Kofi Annan awarded Norman E. Borlaug medallion

The World Food Prize Foundation this week awarded the Norman E. Borlaug medallion to Kofi Annan during the first-ever African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) in Annan’s home country of Ghana. According to the World Food Prize press release, Annan was selected for the award based on his “international leadership as Secretary-General of the United Nations and as chairman of the board for the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa. In both roles, Annan has brought significant attention to the issue of global food security, most notably in establishing the UN Millennium Development Goals during his time at the United Nations.”