As farmers reap the bounty of seeds planted last spring, many are anticipating record crop production as a result of seeds improved through biotechnology. The volume of agricultural biotech crops has grown throughout the 1990s, and the number of products entering the marketplace in the near future is also expected to increase.
Food biotechnology has already begun fulfilling many consumer demands for food products that are more nutritious, better tasting, longer lasting and grown using more environmentally sustainable practices. In a speech earlier this year, Dan Glickman, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, commented: "We know that biotechnology holds our greatest hope for dramatically increasing yields of crops—in harsh weather climates, using less water and less pesticides—with more nutritional value and without the destruction of fragile lands and forests. We also know that test after rigorous scientific test has proven these products to be safe."
It is estimated that throughout the United States, between 8 to 10 million acres of herbicide-tolerant soybeans—provided by more than 70 seed companies—have been planted in 1997. This represents roughly 15 percent of the total soybean acreage. Additionally, approximately 10 million acres of insect-protected corn have been planted in the United States this year, accounting for about 12 percent of all corn planted in 1997. Both of these crops have been enhanced through biotechnology.
With these new technologies, farmers will be able to achieve higher yields without using more land, and this helps to meet the challenge of feeding future global populations, particularly in third-world countries. In testimony to the Senate Agriculture Committee in July 1997, Nobel laureate Norman Borlaug remarked, "The United States has an historic opportunity to provide international leadership in this area." Borlaug has joined notable partners such as former President Jimmy Carter to urge the use of technology to attack famine.
Several new food products derived through biotechnology are expected to hit the market in the United States over the next five years. These products include herbicide- or insecticide-protected varieties of soybeans, canola, sugar beets, rice, corn, wheat and sunflowers.
As the number of crops being developed through biotechnology continues to expand, it is evident that this technology will not only meet consumer demands, but will continue to provide new approaches to achieve future agricultural production goals.
