A Vermont bill requiring labeling of foods with ingredients derived from biotech crops would hurt farmers and confuse consumers in Vermont and beyond, according to North Dakota State Senator Terry Wanzek, writing in a Vermont news website.

“Biotechnology is an accepted tool of conventional agriculture,” wrote Wanzek, himself a farmer.  “Around the world, farmers have grown more than 3 billion acres of GM crops-that is, plants bred to have a natural resistance to insects and weeds, resulting in a bountiful and sustainable food ingredient.” READ MORE »

Models of conventional and GE corn at the Food & Ag Pavilion exhibit booth (BIO International Convention 2010). Guess which one is which!

Yesterday was our first day at the BIO 2010 International Convention in Chicago. With over 15,000 attendees, it is the largest biotech conference in the world. Just a glance in the exhibit hall gives you a good view of how far ag biotech has come in the last decade. China, India, Puerto Rico and Costa Rica have staked a claim in the ag biotech sector. Did you know that Puerto Rico has more biotech companies per square mile than any other country/region? We spoke to the Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Corporation (PRIDCO), who talked about the many benefits of expanding biotech operations and research and development on this tiny island. Notably, he pointed out that the tax incentives and access to highly-skilled human capital are the main drivers behind this expansion. READ MORE »