When considering its version of the Farm Bill, the US House of Representatives should oppose measures that would require labels for foods containing biotech ingredients, North Dakota State Senator Terry Wanzek wrote in an editorial featured in Truth about Trade & Technology.

He pointed out that labeling regulations for genetically modified (GM) foods would lead to higher food costs and added confusion while offering virtually no benefits to consumers.

“The labels wouldn’t make food safer because biotech ingredients are already 100-percent safe, as the federal government and groups ranging from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization to the American Medical Association have determined. The labels simply would convey information that consumers don’t need, while also making our grocery-store bills rise.” Read more.

Australian scientists verify salt-tolerant wheat improves crop yields

Science Daily reported that a team of Australian scientists have introduced a salt-tolerant gene into a variety of durum wheat, with results showing increased grain yields by 25% on salty soils. The research was published this week in Nature Biotechnology, and is the first of its kind to fully describe the improvement of salt tolerance in an agricultural crop from start to finish.

Dr. Rana Munns, one of the lead authors of the study, explained the importance of the findings: “This work is significant as salinity already affects over 20% of the world’s agricultural soils, and salinity poses an increasing threat to food production due to climate change.” Read more.

Farmer Maria Gabriela Cruz: “the case for biotech crops is clear”

Truth about Trade & Technology shared insights from Maria Gabriela Cruz, President of the Portuguese Association of Conservation Agriculture, who makes her living by growing biotech corn on the farm her family has owned for generations. She worries that the EU’s persistent resistance to the technology will cause Europe to fall behind.

Commenting on biotech crops, Cruz said, “They produce better yields, require less water and fewer chemicals, and deliver environmental benefits. I know this from personal experience because I’ve been planting and harvesting Bt corn in Portugal since 2006. It’s the one kind of biotech crop I can raise here-and I wish I had the freedom to try other varieties, like farmers in the United States, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, and so many other countries.” Read more.

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack

According to Western Farm Press, the USDA released data showing record agricultural exports and strong farmer income this year.  USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said, “Strong exports have enabled agriculture to remain one of only a few sectors of the U.S. economy to enjoy a trade surplus. This year’s surplus is projected at $42.5 billion-a record-and next year should be $32 billion, the third-highest.” Read more.

US farmers worldwide recognize benefits of ag biotech

The American Council on Science and Health said US farmers around the world have adopted biotech and it has revolutionized farming. The article also points out scientific research supporting the safety and nutrition benefits of biotech crops. Read more.

Iowa family farmer calls for reduced regulatory barriers to biotech crops

Tim Burrack

Tim Burrack, a corn and soybean family farmer in Iowa and board member of Truth about Trade & Technology, supports Dr. Nina Fedoroff’s op-ed in the New York Times about removing costly regulatory burdens for the approval of biotech crops. In an AgWeb blog he says, “All farmers should thank Fedoroff for her advocacy-and demand that we take back our regulatory system before it deprives us of the tools we use to produce the food that the world needs.”  Read more.