Recent developments from premier international science institutions reaffirm what the U.S. Grains Council (USGC), has long stated: that biotechnology is safe, and governments are imposing barriers to the adoption and trade of this technology that are not grounded in science.
A new, comprehensive analysis from the the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine concluded that genetically engineered crops are safe for humans and animals, based on evidence accumulated over the past two decades.
In addition, the study found there is some evidence that GE insect-resistant crops have benefited human health by reducing insecticide poisonings. It also says that the use of insect-resistant or herbicide-resistant crops does not reduce the overall diversity of plant and insect life on farms.
Shortly after the release of that study, Venki Ramakrishnan, the president of the Royal Society, the United Kingdom’s premier science body, called upon European countries that currently ban all genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to reassess their decisions. Ramakrishnan feels that biotech products should be evaluated instead of banning all products containing GM traits.
His announcement coincided with the release of a GMO guide for the general public in the United Kingdom. The guide is meant to provide clear, unbiased information about the science of GM crops, which farmers in the United States grow to reduce their impact on the environment as well as their costs.
As of 2015, GMOs are grown, imported or used in 80 countries. There are currently nine crops commercially available from GMO seeds in the United States: alfalfa, canola, both field and sweet corn, cotton, papaya, potatoes, soybeans, squash and sugar beets. One more, GMO apples, has been approved by government regulators and will enter the market soon.
In the United States, farmers have rapidly adopted GM technology in field crops like corn because the most advanced plant science helps them boost yield with relatively fewer inputs. In fact, the economic benefits for farmers who use GM seeds amounted to more than $100 per hectare in 2014 on average, according to the report “GM Crops: Global Socio-Economic and Environmental Impacts 1996-2014� that was recently released by PG Economics.
“When I think back to when I first started farming, we wanted to increase our yields with less fertilizer being used,� said Jerry Demmer, a Minnesota farmer who serves on the Minnesota Corn Research Promotion Council and is a USGC biotechnology advisory team member.
Demmer is in his 43rd year of farming, now raising corn and soybeans. He said he has observed what farming was like before the use of biotechnology and how he and his customers can benefit from its use today.
“When biotech seed became available even after years of testing, I was anxious about trying it,� Demmer said. “Once I used it and saw how it works scientifically, I was able to grow more grain with less inputs, specifically insecticides.�
The Council believes continually increasing productivity and open trade of crops, including those produced with GMO seeds, are critical pieces of achieving global food security.
Currently, biotech traits are regulated by governments in both producing and importing countries. To keep export markets open, it is essential that traits not yet approved in a particular country be kept out of the export stream to that country. Thanks to modern testing methods, even a trace of an unapproved trait found present is likely to be detected.
The Council also works with its overseas staff covering programs in more than 50 countries to implement strategies and provide education and communication to their local governments. This is a broad, ongoing dialogue on food security, food safety, sustainability and the role of modern agricultural production.
“The Council’s biotechnology programs are focused on removing trade barriers,â€� said Andrew Conner, USGC manager of global biotechnology, who also serves as the staff liaison to the USGC Biotechnology A-Team. “We work with governments and regulatory authorities on technical training programs and education for local industry representatives on how trade could be affected with biotech events. The scientific evidence is clear – biotech crops and foods from them are safe.â€�
The full study from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine is available here.
The Royal Society guide to GMOs can be found here.